


Linked in Life and Love - Act III: Family Rights

by l_OmegaInfinity_l



Series: Linked in Life and Love - Full Story [3]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Team RWBY, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Family Secrets, Long Lost/Secret Relatives, Mating Bond, Past Relationship(s), Polyamory, Secret Relationship, Volume 2 (RWBY)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2020-01-13 12:07:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 64,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18468634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/l_OmegaInfinity_l/pseuds/l_OmegaInfinity_l
Summary: Team RWBY has survived their encounter with the White Fang and Torchwick, but have discovered something extraordinary about their bond in the process.  New powers are discovered, family members are drawn to Vale, hidden secrets are revealed.  And all the while, Adam Taurus works towards the demise of Team RWBY, regardless of if his plans go against those of Cinder's.Oh, and there's still school life to deal with.Or...This story has ballooned way past what I originally intended and has taken on a life of its own.  It will never end.  Seriously, send help.





	1. Frosty Reception

 

_She was running. Her lungs burned, her legs ached, but she pushed on. In the distance, a fear-filled yowl pierced through the silent forest. In the same second, a strange noise sounded, like a roar mixed with an enraged snort. She pushed herself harder, forcing herself to move faster, to get to the sounds as quickly as possible. Up ahead, a clearing. She could see something small and thin dart past, a hulking, threatening creature hot on its heels. She leapt into the clearing, putting herself between the two. She growled at the creature, her silver eyes boring into the red burning orbs behind a pale white mask. She tensed her hind legs, ready to leap-_

_**Thump!** _

* * *

**Beacon Academy, Infirmary**

Ruby gasped, jolted out of her sleep by the sound of something heavy hitting the floor. She blinked her bleary eyes rapidly, the last remnants of her strange dream fading as she registered the early morning light shining through the infirmary windows. She glance down at herself, dimly wondering when she'd changed into her sleep clothes.

" _Oh… oh, no… this is… this is bad… can't…"_

Panicked mutterings pushed the last bits of sleep out of Ruby's system. Her eyes darted around the darkened room, finding all the other beds empty, save one with a pile of swords on it, thin wires running from their hilts down on the floor. Sucking in a startled gasp, Ruby pushed herself up, ignoring the mild throbbing in her broken leg. She followed the wires' path, finding…

"Penny?"

Penny laid on the infirmary floor, her limbs splayed at odd angles, like a puppet with its strings cut. She turned her head jerkily towards Ruby's voice, her vibrant green eyes filled with fear and panic. Her whole body was shaking.

Ruby pushed herself up further, leaning forward as if to leap from her bed. "Penny, are you okay?"

The robotic girl stared up at Ruby, her face full of shock and desperation. "R-Ruby?" Her voice sounded mostly normal, but still had a slight tinny echo to it, every other word stuttering. "Wha-what am I doing here? W-where are we?"

Ruby frowned, concerned. "Beacon's infirmary. We all came here after the fight. You and me were the only ones hurt bad enough to stay the night."

Penny's eyes widened in fright. "'A-all'? Y-you mean… your team? S-Sun and Ne-Neptune? Th-they saw m-me like th-this?"

Ruby gave a small nod. "Sorry. When we got back here… there was really no hiding what you are, what with the sparks and your… wire… sword… things."

Penny jerked in surprise, twisting her head around. The sudden motion pulled at one of her wires, sending a black and green sword clattering to the ground. Penny watched it fall in horror.

"They… they saw… Ruby!" Penny crawled forward a bit, pulling moe swords off the bed. She looked up at Ruby in desperation. "D-did anyone e-else see me like th-this?"

Ruby swallowed, her heart dropping into her stomach as she looked into Penny's fear filled eyes. "J-just the night nurse." She looked away from Penny's eyes, not wanting to see Penny's reaction. "And… Professor Ozpin."

Ruby jumped as an electrical  _pop!_  echoed through the quiet room. Her eyes snapped back down to Penny, and the look of pure terror on the android's face gave her chills. A thin trail of smoke curled from Penny's left ear.

"O-Ozpin?" Penny murmured faintly, her head rocking from side to side in denial. She started pushing back away from Ruby's bed. "Professor O-Ozpin saw me like… he kn-knows that I'm…" She suddenly pushed off the ground hard, almost getting her legs under her, only to fall back down in a boneless heap.

Ruby jolted forward, panicked by her friend's collapse. "Penny! What-?"

She was cut off when Penny tried to stand again, this time not even making it to her knees. As she hit the ground, more sparking sounds came from within her. "I-I have to g-get out of h-here!" Her voice grew more panicked, static tinging her words. "The General s-said that Professor O-Ozpin can't know w-what I a-am!"

Ruby tried to lean down, reaching for her panicked friend. "Penny, wait! If you just-ahh!"

A startled gasp left Ruby's lips when her hand slipped, sending her full weight falling off the bed. Ruby landed with a thud, a metallic twang echoing through the room as her brace hit the ground hard.

Blinding, raging,  _pain_  shot up Ruby's leg, nearly making her scream. Unlike the previous night, her leg felt like it was once again in one piece, but that burning, agonizing pain had only gotten worse. Ruby tried to curl up around her leg, but the brace kept it straight, which only created more pain when she tried to force her leg to bend.

So bad was the pain that she almost didn't hear Penny's voice grow even more hysterical, this time with a loud shout of "Ruby!"

Ruby forced her eyes open, flashing her a smile that felt just as painful as it looked. "I'm okay, Penny," she lied through her clenched teeth, her voice just an octave higher due to the pain. "J-just a few bruises."

Penny just stared, frozen in shock, just barely holding herself up by her elbows.

Ruby took a deep breath, forcing herself to ignore the pain. Seeing that Penny had stopped her frantic escape attempt, the sniper decided to move before that changed. Slowly, she reached out with both arms and started dragging herself across the aisle, her fingers slipping slightly on the cold linoleum. An ungodly screeching droned as her brace scraped across the floor with every pull.

Penny watched with wide eyes, her body still trembling. When Ruby's arm slipped just a few feet from reaching her, Penny threw out her arm without thinking, catching Ruby by the shoulder before her nose could crack against the hard floor.

Ruby was surprised, but flashed Penny a thankful smile as she carefully pulled herself up to sit. Her breath hitched as she rolled over, her leg throbbing. She scooted backwards, until her back hit the side of Penny's bed. Once she was comfortable, she reached over.

Penny stiffened as Ruby grasped her by the arms and pulled. Ruby struggled against her surprising weight. Seeing this, Penny gave a jerky kick backwards, pushing herself forward. Realizing what Ruby wanted, Penny forced her damaged body to roll over, sending more swords tumbling, until she was sitting side-by-side with her friend.

Ruby grinned at her, breathing a bit harder than usual. She threw an arm across Penny's shoulders, mindful of her jetpack's sharp edges. "There… that's better… right?"

Penny blinked at her, then looked away. "You didn't have to fall out of bed like that." The stutter in her voice had vanished, but still held that metallic echo.

Ruby rubbed the back of her head with her free arm, smiling sheepishly. "Yeah, well… wasn't exactly my plan." She frowned when Penny didn't smile back. "Are you okay?"

Penny glanced at her briefly. She shifted in place, and Ruby could feel the light tremors running through her body. She also felt oddly warm. "My synthskin has been completely restored, but several of my internal components are still damaged. My aura should repair them faster now that I'm activated."

Ruby nodded, but her frown deepened. "That's good… but that's not really what I asked."

Penny hesitated, then hung her head, letting out a shaky breath. "I'm in so much trouble."

Ruby tilted her head. "Why?"

Penny stared at her in disbelief. "I-I was supposed to be back by ten-o'clock last night… and I was  _never_  supposed to let Ozpin know that I'm… I'm…"

"Synthetic?"

Penny's face tightened a bit as she nodded. "Yes… Professor Ozpin was against the project that lead to my creation. The General is worried about how he'll react when he finds out that I was made anyway."

Ruby hummed, shifting a little closer. "Well… he didn't seem angry last night. At least… I don't think he was."

Penny wasn't convinced, her leg giving a slight twitch as something within it clicked back into place. "What did he say?"

Ruby shrugged. "Not much. Just that he wanted to talk to all of us about the fight against Torchwick today. We're supposed to meet with him at ten."

Penny blinked at that. She was silent for a moment, and Ruby thought she saw her green eyes flash. Penny frowned. "It's a quarter past six right now."

That got a groan out of Ruby, as she over exaggerated falling against Penny's shoulder, hanging her head. "Noooo…! Why do I keep getting up early on Sundays?" A wave of exhaustion hit Ruby, as if her body agreed with that sentiment.

A small smile formed on Penny's face at the sniper's antics. "You could go back to sleep."

Ruby thought about it, letting out a low hum. "I could try."

"Okay. Do you want me to help you back into…?"

Penny trailed off as, to her utter shock, Ruby removed her arm from Penny's shoulders, only to then snuggle against her side, tucking the top of her head into the crook of Penny's neck.

Penny's cheeks tinted with a green glow. "Ru-Ruby?"

Ruby just muttered into Penny's shirt, her words muffled. "I'm tired… you're warm."

Penny fidgeted nervously. She'd never been in this kind of situation before. Having someone this close to her was extremely odd… but strangely, it also felt quite nice. Still, she couldn't help but ask, "...is it really appropriate for you to sleep against me like this, given your current relationship status?"

A sleepy chuckle escaped Ruby's mouth. "They won't get jealous. They know I love them and wouldn't hurt them like that. I'm tired and I trust you. They'll get that." She then frowned grumpily. "Plus, they all cuddled together last night without me. I got cheated."

Penny tilted her head a bit, but didn't think much of it. Instead, she let out a quiet sigh. "...you're lucky," she muttered as she felt Ruby's breathing slow. A single silver eye cracked open, looking up at her in question. "Not everyone manages to find such a close relationship, especially with such a unique situation as yours." She hummed to herself, a wayward thought striking her. "I wish I was able to have such a relationship."

"Why can't you?"

Penny flinched in surprise, finding Ruby now looking at her with both eyes. She hadn't meant to say that out loud. She thought Ruby was making a joke… until she noted the genuine confusion on Ruby's face. "Ruby… I'm a robot," she explained shortly, her cheeks glowing brighter.

Ruby frowned deeper. 'So?"

Penny could only blink at that. After a few seconds, all she could say was, "...you are a very odd person, Ruby Rose."

Ruby just gave her a sleepy smile. In just a few moments, she was out.

As light snores filled the room, Penny frowned at the sleeping girl. The way she brushed off her synthetic nature was… disconcerting. And not just her; Weiss hadn't dwelled on her nature at all, either. Penny wondered how the rest of the teens from last night had reacted to the truth about her. If they didn't have an issue either…

Penny leaned her head back, a slight  _ping!_  sounding as a joint in her neck popped back into place. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander as her aura did its work. At this rate, she should be fully healed in just a couple hours. Until then, she just listened to Ruby's slow breathing, wondering what laid in store for her at the hands of Professor Ozpin.

* * *

**Beacon Academy Airfield**

It was relatively early on the Beacon grounds. Being Sunday morning, most of the student population were either still sleeping or only just beginning their day. A few small groups of students were out and about, though nearly all of them had some form of coffee or equivalent on hand as they cut across the courtyard towards the waiting Bullheads.

General Ironwood watched them scurry about with a curious eye, standing near an empty platform at the far end of the airfield. There was a certain feel about these teenagers, a lightness that his own students seemed to lack. Frankly, the school as a whole seemed the opposite of Atlas Academy, more bright and cheerful, though there was a worrying lack of discipline among them. He'd nearly stepped in when he witnessed, in broad view of everyone around, a large young man in bronze armor yank on the ear of a passing rabbit Faunus.

The only reason Ironwood didn't was because, no sooner had the young man done the deed, then a girl in a brown beret rounded the corner, and gave the young man a tongue-lashing that left the General both disconcerted and slightly impressed. The young man had sneered at the two girls, until another pair of boys arrived, one of them being a full two heads higher than the bronze-armored boy, and glared him down. The young man had scurried back towards the school shortly after, and the group of apparent teammates had carried on their way, the girl in the beret fretting over the rabbit Faunus' bent ear.

Ironwood shook his head. He knew that some of his own Atlassian students weren't much better in their views and actions, but none of them would escalate things to the point of becoming physical. He simply wouldn't tolerate it.

He glanced down at his watch. His brow creased in concern. His meeting with Ozpin was in twenty minutes, yet there was still no sign of-

The familiar whirl of a Bullhead's engine sounded overhead. Ironwood looked up and watched as a glistening white airship touched down beside him, the SDC logo proudly embossed on its side.

Not two seconds after landing, the Bullhead's door flew open, and a scowling Winter Schnee marched out of it at a brisk pace, leaving a baffled SDC worker standing in the opening.

Ironwood smiled at his second-in-command, already turning to walk towards the school. "Good to see you, Specialist. How was your trip back home?"

Winter shot him an unamused glance, though her face softened as she fell into step beside him. "A waste of time, doubly so after I received the information you sent me. My father had no knowledge of the missing prototypes, nor any of our other equipment."

Ironwood nodded grimly. "I take it then that you read the files on your way here?"

Winter nodded back, though Ironwood took note of the slight dip of her lips. "Yes sir, though the specifics were rather vague regarding last night's events. I understand that my sister was involved in some way?"

Ironwood let out a huff of a laugh. "In a way. From what I understand, she, her team, two Haven students, and Penny all took it upon themselves to take down a rogue Paladin prototype."

Winter's eyes widened a little, then narrowed. "I see," she said plainly, an edge of frost in her words. "That's… interesting. Any idea why Penny would agree to do something so… foolhardy?"

Ironwood shook his head. "That's one of the first things I'm going to ask her once this meeting is underway."

Winter hummed at that, her eyes drifting upwards towards Beacon's various towers and spires, all sparkling in the morning sun. Her frown deepened. She looked towards the General with thinly veiled apprehension. "Sir, is this really the wisest choice of action?"

Ironwood let out a deep sigh of resignation. "Not so much 'the wisest choice' as it is the best of a short list of bad ones. Ozpin has already discovered Penny's secret. To withhold information about her now would not only be insulting, but could be misconstrued as us actively working against him. Ozpin already thinks Project Polendina was a bad idea. Hopefully, once we show him the progress Penny has made, we can change his mind."

Winter hummed in thought. "Some individuals will not like revealing Penny's nature to Professor Ozpin," she stated simply.

Ironwood made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a scoff. He had a strong suspicion who one of the 'individuals' Winter was referring to was. "They'll just have to live with it. Just because they provided funding for the project does not mean I will bend over backwards to appease them."

As Ironwood spoke, Winter's lip twitched a bit, forming a non-existent smirk. "As you say, General."

The General nodded in response, smiling slightly. As they stepped into Beacon's shadow, however, the grin slowly slipped off his face. Just short of the main entrance, he slowed to a stop. "Winter?" he asked, turning to face his second. "May I ask you something?"

Winter stood next to him, giving a stiff nod. "Of course, sir."

Ironwood went to speak, then paused, looking thoughtful. He glanced around, finding that the two of them were currently the only occupants of the courtyard. Meeting the Specialist's eyes, he said, "Winter, you've spent more time with Penny than anyone else short of her 'father'. In your lessons with Penny, has she ever given you her thoughts on becoming the Fall Maiden?"

Winter blinked, slightly perplexed. "Sir?"

Ironwood looked away, his eyes drifting towards the center statue of Beacon's courtyard, a Hunter and Huntress standing above a roaring Beowolf. He let out a short breath. "Something Oz said to me last night. Winter, I believe I may have made an error regarding Penny, one that Oz will no doubt ask Penny about himself." At Winter's bemused expression, he continued. "It's just… we've spent all our time and resources crafting Penny to become the perfect Fall Maiden. Yet, for the life of me, I cannot recall ever asking her if she actually  _wants_  to become a Maiden."

Winter's eyes noticeably widened. "Sir…" she started hesitantly. "She… hasn't stated otherwise, at least not to me. But… why would she? Isn't that the entire reason Penny was created?"

Ironwood's frown morphed into a small grimace. "I have a feeling that's exactly the point Oz was trying to make."

Winter nodded slowly. "...this meeting is not going to go well, is it?"

Ironwood took a deep breath, his face blank. "We will see." With that, he continued into the school, Winter following dutifully.

The trip through Beacon's corridors was silent. Very few students were roaming the halls, the few who were ignored the pair, though one or two looked back at Winter in confusion. They were nearly to the right elevator when a voice came from behind them.

"General!"

The two stopped, turning to face the newcomer. Ironwood smiled a little. "Glynda," he greeted, giving the Beacon teacher a respectful nod as she closed the distance between them. "I hope we're not late."

Glynda didn't smile, but she reciprocated the nod, giving one to Winter as well. "You're a bit early, actually. I was on my way to collect Penny now."

In an instant, Ironwood's face tightened. "I see… and do you…?"

"I know, James," Goodwitch stated firmly, her eyes narrowing a bit. It was not so much anger in her voice as it was resignation. "Frankly, I share Ozpin's views on the matter, but I'm willing to listen to your reasoning."

Ironwood grimaced, but only slightly. "That's all I ask. Would you mind escorting me to Ozpin's office? I'm sure Winter would be more than happy to collect Penny in your stead."

Winter gave the General only the briefest glance before nodding in agreement.

Glynda hesitated for a moment, then relented. "I suppose. Ozpin did want to speak to you as soon as possible. Winter, you'll find Penny in the infirmary."

Winter's stony facade cracked in confusion. "The infirmary, ma'am?"

Glynda simply nodded, glancing down at her scroll. "Yes. All the students involved in last night's affair went there after the fight. I'd ask you to collect another student from the infirmary as well, the leader of their impromptu operation: a girl named Ruby Rose."

At that, Winter's eyes widened, then narrowed as a determined look spread over her face. "Of course, ma'am. General." She offered Ironwood a brisk nod, then marched off in the direction of the infirmary.

Ironwood raised an eyebrow at his second's quick departure, but ignored it. He instead motioned for Glynda to pass him. "Lead the way?"

Glynda just nodded, already moving as the General tried to keep up.

* * *

As Winter walked down the empty halls, she couldn't help but feel a small amount of anticipation.

She had not spoken to Weiss in months, due to a combination of conflicting schedules and their father's meddling. Finding that she had been enrolled in Beacon rather than Atlas had been an unexpected surprise, but a good one. Frankly, the further her sister was from their bastard of a father, the better.

Unfortunately, Weiss had neglected to contact her in the intervening months since her enrollment. Not surprising, given her sister's mentality when last they spoke, but still disappointing. Winter had several questions for her that a simple scroll call could have answered. How did she like Beacon? How was her training going?

Who was Ruby Rose?

That last one had been burning inside her for a while. Since Weiss wouldn't call her, and likely wouldn't appreciate Winter calling to check up on her 'little sister', Winter tried to get answers a different way: calling in a favor from Professor Ozpin himself. Of course, the man could never give a straight answer (she suspected being ambiguous and aloof was just how the Headmaster had his fun), and had instead sent her a simple file containing the names and pictures of Weiss' team. Or rather… Ruby Rose's team.

Yes, Winter had several questions for her sister when they reunited. She regretted the fact that the first time Weiss reached out to her, just yesterday, she'd been engaged in a relentless battle against her father's bloated ego. At least now, she and Weiss could have that conversation in person. But for the moment, perhaps she could get one answer herself.

A few turns down Beacon's hallways, and Winter found herself at the infirmary doors. She pushed them open, entering a small waiting room. A young woman in a nurse's uniform sat behind a plain desk, reading a pile of paperwork. She looked up as the doors opened.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

Holding herself with her usual poise, Winter nodded to the woman. "I've come to collect two girls for a meeting with Professor Ozpin: Penny Polendina and Ruby Rose."

At the names, the nurse blinked in surprise, then, confusingly, smirked. She pointed to a pair of double doors to Winter's left. "They're right through there. Hope you have better luck getting them up than I did."

Winter frowned at her, head tilting slightly, but the woman had already turned back to her papers, laughing softly to herself.

Curiosity mixing with concern, Winter pushed through the doors, entering a room lined with beds She looked around, finding them all empty, save one with a pair of Penny's swords hanging off the edge. Confused, she went around the bed. When she looked down, her blue eyes widened, her mouth falling open in shock.

When Ironwood had called for her to come to Beacon, Winter had prepared herself for a multitude of situations, ranging from the unpleasant to downright hostile. Finding Penny sitting on the floor, eyes closed, with Weiss' team leader all but sleeping in her lap, was not on the list.

"Penny?" Winter gasped, none-too quietly.

Penny's eyes snapped open, quickly going from a pale grey to their usual vibrant green.  _Likely jolted out of Sleep Mode,_  Winter thought absently. Penny looked down at Ruby Rose, blinked, then looked up at Winter. Her cheeks tinted green in an instant.

"M-miss Winter!" Penny whisper-shouted. Winter took note of the faint echo in her voice, and the small jerk when she fully turned her head. "W-what are you doing here?"

A sharp question was on the tip of Winter's tongue, but she forced it down. Instead, she inhaled deeply through her nose, giving Penny a pointed look. "I've come to collect you and… Miss Rose for Professor Ozpin's meeting. If you could…" She gestured towards the sleeping girl.

Penny quickly understood, giving a rapid nod. She shook Ruby's shoulder. "Ruby, wake up. It's time for the meeting."

Ruby gave a groan of discontent, but her eyes soon blinked open. She shifted away from Penny, stretching her arms up as she let loose a large yawn. "Is… is it ten already?"

"9:22, to be exact," Penny replied helpfully.

Ruby nodded slowly, humming in acknowledgement. "Oh, not late then. Good." She then looked up, just then noticing the other person in the room.

Winter met her bleary stare evenly. She expected the girl to be surprised, startled, maybe even worried, depending on what Weiss had told her. What she did  _not_  expect was for Ruby Rose to give her a large, almost loving smile, silver eyes shining with warmth.

"Hey, Weiss," Ruby said, stifling another yawn. "Worried I was gonna be late… for…?" Ruby then frowned, shaking her head a little. After blinking the last bits of sleep out of her eyes, Ruby looked Winter up and down. Again, Winter's expectations were dashed when the girl simply tilted her head to the side, looking mildly puzzled. "You're not Weiss," she stated plainly.

Winter blinked at Ruby. In some distant part of her mind, she was impressed. Within the first minute of meeting her, Ruby Rose had managed to confuse her. Rather than dwell on this, Winter simply lifted her chin, looking down her nose at the girl. "No, I'm not. I am Atlassian Specialist  _Winter_ Schnee."

Again, whatever Winter was expecting, it was  _not_  for the young leader's face to brighten like a child receiving a present. "Oh! You're Weiss' big sister! I was hoping to- Ow!"

Winter actually stepped forward in concern as Ruby Rose tried to jump to her feet, only to slam back down when her braced leg remained unmoving. The girl clutched at her leg for a moment, gritting her teeth. She let out a groan. "Right… forgot about that."

Winter raised an eyebrow at that. "You…  _forgot_  about your broken leg?"

Ruby Rose flashed her a sheepish grin that seemed almost  _too_  big. "Sorry. It takes a bit for me to really wake up. Weiss says I'm scatterbrained in the morning." She giggled to herself, leaning against the bed as she slowly got to her feet, Penny offering her assistance. "Guess she's not wrong!"

Winter could only stare. This  _is the girl that had beat Weiss out for team leader?_  But before she could really think on it, Ruby Rose turned slightly against Penny. Winter's eyes widened, then narrowed as she caught sight of the girl's neck.

Yes, she had many,  _many_  questions for her sister.

Once Ruby was up, leaning heavily on Penny, she glanced around the room. "Um, you wouldn't happen to have seen any-"

"Looking for these, Miss Rose?"

Their attention was drawn to the infirmary doors as the nurse Winter had spoken to walked through, holding a pair of crutches. The nurse shot Winter a small smile, nodding to her. "Nice work waking them up. Miss Rose would just mumble when I tried." Ruby pouted at her, which she ignored, simply turning her smile to the young girl. "I suppose you're feeling better then, Miss Rose, given you're back on your feet?"

Ruby's pout faded into a bright smile. "Yep! Right as rain!... ow…" She winced as she adjusted the crutches under arms, accidentally putting too much weight on her bad leg. She laughed awkwardly. "Well, I will be in a couple days."

Winter raised a bemused brow at the girl's words.  _Healing from a broken leg in two days? She can't really believe that._

To her surprise, the nurse just smirked at her. "From anyone else, I'd call that arrogance. You have some very potent aura, Miss Rose."

Ruby ducked her head a little at the praise. "My Semblance helps speed things along."

The nurse nodded. "I assumed so." Then she turned to Penny, looking the girl over. Penny shrank away from her gaze, keeping her eyes to the floor. Before Winter could think to break the awkward air, the nurse said, "I must apologize for leaving you in the state you were last night, Miss Polendina. I wasn't quite sure how to treat you, given your… status."

Penny flinched when she started speaking, but quickly looked up at the nurse's calm tone. Seeing no scorn or unease, a hesitant smile spread across her lips. "It's fine, ma'am. My aura's fixed most of my injuries, and the rest only require some light maintenance. Thank you for your concern."

The nurse raised a brow at her word choice. "'Maintenance', huh?" Penny's cheeks blazed again, but the nurse spoke again, smiling. "Well, you're polite. That's a good point in my book."

Penny looked surprised, but smiled back, wider than before.

Before there could be anymore distractions, Winter cleared her throat. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's almost time for our meeting with Professor Ozpin. Is Miss Rose ready to leave?"

The nurse turned to her, nodding. "She is so long as she doesn't push herself too hard." She gave Ruby a stern look. "At all. The next time you come in here, it better only be to get that brace off. Understand, Miss Rose?"

Ruby gave a sheepish nod. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good," Winter said. "Penny, if you could retract your weapons?"

Penny nodded. "Of course." Penny's eyes glowed brighter, and her jetpack split apart into two swords. A sharp clacking filled the room as each of Penny's blades started to fold up into neat rectangles. Penny's body gave a small jolt, and all the wires running from Penny's back retracted, each of her compacted swords disappearing into her back.

Ruby caught the briefest glimpse of the compartment in Penny's back, filled with a plethora of grey components and glowing green wires, before a flesh-colored panel slid into place, followed by the back of Penny's shirt closing over it like curtains. "So cool…" she murmured, stars in her eyes.

"Miss Rose," Winter's crisp voice brought Ruby out of her amazement. "Penny. If you'll follow me, please."

Without another word, Winter strode to the doors, holding them open with an expectant look. Penny and Ruby gave the nurse one last smile, then followed her. Ruby took a few steps to get a feel for the crutches, Penny hovering close by just in case she fell. Winter thankfully walked at a slower pace, letting Ruby keep up with her.

As the three left the infirmary, Ruby was bursting with questions. She'd been hoping to meet Weiss' sister one day, so this was perfect! Though, why was Winter here at Beacon? Wait, no, she'd already said, the meeting with Professor Ozpin. Well, maybe she could ask some questions about Winter herself. What did she like? What was her weapon?

_Ooh! Maybe she can tell me what Weiss was like as a kid! Maybe even-_

"Miss Rose."

Ruby froze as Winter came to a stop in the middle of the hallway. The older woman turned around, looking down at her.

"May I ask you a question?"

Ruby didn't like the look she was giving her. It reminded her too much of the one Professor Goodwitch had when she screwed up during lessons, or her dad when he caught her trying to sneak cookies in the middle of the night.

"Um… okay?" Ruby said hesitantly, bracing herself slightly. Penny looked between the two, concerned.

Winter's words were calm, collected, not a hint of accusation in them. Yet they still made Ruby's heart jump into her throat.

"Would you mind telling me why you have a Faunus' Mate's Mark with my family's symbol on it?"

Ruby's response was just as calm… mostly from shock.

"Uh… wha?"

 


	2. Affinity Found

 

Ruby stared up into Winter's piercing blue eyes, her mouth falling open in shock. "Uhh…"

Winter stared back passively, unblinking.

 _Umm… Oh, what do I do?!_  Ruby's mind was a jumbled mess, Winter's question having completely upended her thoughts. To anyone else, she'd have no problem explaining her relationship. They'd all decided not to hide their status as Mates, something Ruby was thankful for. She was pretty sure trying to keep her relationship a secret would make her explode.

Winter, however… that was a different case.

 _Weiss said Winter wouldn't have a problem with our relationship… well, that she was_ least _likely to have a problem with it, but that's practically the same thing… right? Oh, I wish Weiss was here…_

"You, um…" Ruby tried, her mouth feeling unnaturally dry. "You know what a Mate's Mark is?"

Ruby gave herself a mental pat on the back.  _Yeah, that's a good way to start… or at least to buy time while I figure out what the heck I'm supposed to say!_

Winter merely raised an eyebrow, unconcerned about the mental maelstrom she'd inflicted on the girl before her. "Yes, I do." She folded her hands behind her back, giving Ruby a patient look. "Miss Rose, has Weiss ever said anything about our father to you?"

Ruby blinked at the question, then her expression changed to the closest thing she had to a scowl. "Enough to know I don't like him."

Winter's brow raised a bit, and Ruby thought that, for a split second, the corner of her mouth quirked upwards. "Well, then you likely know that he tried to instill a… certain perspective into my siblings and I, regarding the Faunus people."

Ruby's face darkened to something dangerously close to anger. She just nodded slowly.

Winter went on. "I'm afraid he may have succeeded in giving those views to my younger siblings, but I always felt that my father's teachings were…  _flawed_  to say the least. When I eventually left home, I made the effort to gain as much knowledge as I could on the subject, so I could make my own views."

Ruby's proto-scowl faded, understanding in her eyes. "So… that's how you learned about Mate's Marks?"

"In a way. Information on that  _specific_  subject is rather difficult to come by outside of Menagerie. But I learned enough from texts and a few personal inquiries to understand the basics: sharing aura with one another, sensing each other's emotions. An interesting, if odd practice. And over the years," Winter's eyes narrowed slightly. "I've seen enough of them personally to recognize one when I see it."

Ruby gulped, flinching under the sharp glare. It was a lot like Weiss', only scarier.

Winter kept up the stare for a few seconds, then closed her eyes. She took a deep breath through her nose, and when she opened her eyes, they were… well, not softer, but not as cutting. "Miss Rose," she said calmly. "I won't procrastinate any longer, you are in a relationship with a Faunus, yes?"

Ruby frowned slightly, cheeks tinting from Winter's bluntness. "Yes…"

Winter's face fell a bit. "And… I can think of only one reason that my family symbol would be a part of your Mark's design." She sighed deeply, and Ruby saw resignation in her eyes. "Weiss is part of your relationship, isn't she?"

Ruby shrank further.

_Weiss is gonna kill me._

"Yes… she is…"

Winter's shoulders tensed ever so slightly, and Ruby winced away from her, expecting the older woman to explode in anger. Instead, surprisingly, Winter simply clenched her jaw. "Okay," she said, her voice tight. Without another word, she set back down the hall.

Ruby watched her go for a moment. She shot Penny a curious look, the android having watched the whole conversation in silence. Penny just shrugged, looking just as confused as Ruby. They both quickly followed, Ruby wobbling slightly as she worked her crutches.

Silence was never something Ruby enjoyed, especially when coupled with the rather stern, blank expression Winter had. It only took about thirty seconds for Ruby to say something, pushing herself to keep even with the Specialist. "Miss Winter?" she questioned hesitantly. "Are you angry?"

Winter glanced at her, and Ruby flinched at how cold her eyes were. "My feelings are none of your concern, Miss Rose."

Ruby gulped but pressed on. "What are you going to do?"

Winter didn't even bother looking at her this time. "I am going to take both of you to this meeting with Ozpin, listen to what you all have to say, and once that's done," her eyes narrowed, her tone of voice leaving no room for argument, "my sister and I are going to have a  _long_  talk."

Ruby's arms felt like lead, as did her sinking stomach. Swallowing down her nerves, she tried to salvage as much as she could. With a hint of desperation in her voice, she begged. "Please don't be mad at Weiss."

Surprisingly, Winter stopped walking, so suddenly that Ruby nearly tripped doing the same, Penny having to grab her by the shoulder to keep her from falling. When Ruby looked up, she found those crystal eyes boring down at her, a single sleek eyebrow raised in question. It took all Ruby had to keep eye contact. "She didn't do anything wrong… right?" When Winter's only response was her brow arching further, she went on. "I mean… her being with us isn't a bad thing… is it?" She finished uncertainly, unnerved by Winter's lack of response.

An uncomfortable silence filled the hall, and Ruby wished more than anything that her Mate's Link somehow extended to Winter. After feeling her team's emotions nonstop for over a week, being faced with such an unreadable, emotionless situation was nerve-racking.

Just when Ruby thought that she'd blown any chance of having Weiss' sister even remotely liking her, Winter's shoulders sagged. Not much, but enough to lessen the strict, commanding air the woman always had about her. She frowned slightly, looking away from Ruby in a way that reminded the sniper of Weiss doing the same movement.

"I never claimed she did something wrong, Miss Rose." Her tone was still prim and proper, but Ruby could hear some underlying emotion in it. "But I worry that she doesn't quite grasp the scope of what this relationship involves. Personally, politically…" Winter shook her head, letting out a sigh. "I need to speak to Weiss on this later." She gave Ruby a long look, glancing briefly at Penny. She closed her eyes, breathing in deeply. When her eyes opened, Winter appeared calm and collected. "We're going to be late for the meeting. Come."

Winter took off again. Penny and Ruby sharing just a quick look before following, Ruby wondering just how much trouble she'd gotten Weiss in. A full minute of silence passed, only the clanking of Ruby's crutches being heard.

"Miss Rose?"

Ruby looked back up at Winter, crutches wobbling as she kept moving. "Yes?" she asked nervously. "And, um… you can just call me Ruby… y'know… if you want…"

Winter raised a slim brow, and Ruby noted just a tiny flicker of warmth in her eyes. "Ruby," she corrected, brow raising higher at the bright smile that earned her. "Could you tell me how Weiss has been doing in her classes?

Winter was mildly alarmed at just how  _huge_  Ruby's smile was. "She's amazing! Like, the smartest person in school, except maybe Pyrrha and Ren every once in a while. One time, in Grimm Studies, she…"

* * *

**RWBY Dorm**

"Well, that can't be good."

Weiss shot Yang an unamused look as she pulled her hair into a sideways-ponytail, but couldn't chastise her. For Ruby to get  _that_  panicked, and now feel  _this_  guilty, something major must have happened. She frowned at the thought, trying to think of what could have gone wrong so early in the day.

Blake hummed in agreement, smoothing down the front of her shirt. The three Mates were rushing to get dressed, having overslept a bit, then taking a while to pull themselves away from each other's warm embrace. They'd started moving faster when they realized something felt wrong, like they were missing something, or, rather,  _someone_ , in their already overcrowded bed.

Weiss made a mental note at the thought.  _First, get us all new scrolls, then, ask about getting a bigger bed._  She picked her scroll off the nightstand, opening it and tapping on the screen, but nothing happened. She sighed, not even bothering to close it as she tossed it back on the nightstand to join the rest of the dead scrolls.  _Hopefully, we can salvage the memory chips. I'd hate to have to tutor Ruby without all my school notes._

Her thoughts were interrupted when she noticed a now-familiar sound filling the air around her. A small smile spread over her lips as she glanced at Yang. The blonde met her eyes with a smirk, leaning against the window with her arms crossed. They both turned to face Blake, who was running a brush through her hair with her eyes closed, her left ear twitching with each pull.

"Blake," Yang said, a slight teasing in her voice. "You're purring again."

Blake froze mid-brush, eyes snapping open as her purrs cut off abruptly. She looked over at her Mates, cheeks tinting slightly at their wide grins. "Sorry," she muttered, having an embarrassed smile of her own. "It just kind of keeps happening."

Yang just chuckled, reaching up to give Blake's ears a quick scratch. "We know, Kitty Cat." Her smirk softened as Blake leaned into her touch, once again radiating  _Happiness, Relief, Contentment._  "I'm glad you're feeling better after talking to your mom. But you might want to try reining it in a bit before you end up purring like a motorboat in Ozpin's office."

Blake winced slightly at the mental image, leaning away from Yang's hand. "Oh, that would be so mortifying. I'll try to get a handle on it."

Weiss laughed quietly at them. Since waking up, she'd felt almost unnaturally calm considering what they were about to go do. She wondered if Blake's happiness was bleeding over into herself, but pushed it aside to question later. She fished around through one of her bags, humming happily when she found the compact she was looking for. She flipped it open, giving herself a quick once-over. She smoothed her bangs, trying to make herself look as presentable as possible. She paused when her eyes drifted downwards, catching sight of her Mark.

She sighed. She looked at her girlfriends, watching as Blake discreetly pulled a small orange pill bottle out of her bag. Blake quickly swallowed one of the capsules, then stashed the bottle back in her bag. Weiss decided not to comment on it, instead asking, "So, do we know what we're telling Professor Ozpin?"

Yang let out a rueful laugh. "Not much point in hiding anything. He had us cold last night."

"Yes, but," Weiss paused as she pulled Ruby's cloak down from the girl's suspended bunk, the ropes creaking softly as the bed swayed. She folded the cloak over her arm and continued. "How  _much_  do we tell him? He knows we fought Torchwick's Paladin, but not why we were there in the first place."

Blake let out a huff, sitting on the edge of her bed. "I don't know. He already knew I was a Faunus before I enrolled, but I'm not sure if he knows I was part of the White Fang. And even if he does, I have no idea if he knows what I did with them."

Yang frowned at that. "So, if he doesn't know about you and Adam… yeah, that could be bad." She looked between her girlfriends. "So, then what? We lie? Say we were just in the wrong place at the wrong time?"

Weiss grimaced. "That might have worked if it was just us four, but since Sun and Neptune were there with us, not to mention Penny…"

"Yeah," Yang commented with a chuckle, shaking her head in disbelief. "Robot girl. That's a new one."

Blake nodded in agreement, frowning at Weiss' words. "It looks suspicious, seven students from three different schools, all at the same place in the same fight." She groaned, pressing her palm to her forehead. "Dammit… there's no way around this, is there?"

She felt someone put their hand on her shoulder. Blake looked up into Yang's lavender eyes, the blonde giving a warm smile.

"Don't start freaking just yet, Blake," she said. "For all we know, Ozpin already knows all about you, and won't bat an eye. And if he does, we got your back."

Weiss appeared at Yang's side, giving a stiff nod. "Agreed. Though, was it me, or did Professor Ozpin seem like he already knew something about what we did last night? Beyond fighting the Paladin, I mean."

Yang shrugged, her hand falling from Blake's shoulder as the Faunus stood. "I think that's just how he is all the time, Weissy. It's kinda creepy, honestly."

Blake laughed weakly at that, then glanced at the wall clock. They had forty minutes until ten o'clock, but they had decided to show up a half-hour early just in case. Blake let out a deep sigh. "Alright… let's get this over with."

Yang patted her on the back, grinning broadly. "That's the spirit."

Weiss rolled her eyes as she followed her girlfriends out of the room.  _Remember, Weiss, you_ chose _to be part of this insanity._  She let out a sigh, her lips forming a slight smile as she stepped in line with Blake and Yang.

* * *

Several flights of stairs later, and the leaderless Team RWBY reached the elevator to Ozpin's office. To their surprise, Sun and Neptune were already there, sitting on the floor playing some kind of card game. Sun scowled at the cards in his hand, opening his mouth to say something to Neptune, when he caught sight of the approaching girls. He waved to them as they drew near.

"'Sup, guys! Wanna be dealt in? It'd be nice if Nep had someone to trounce other than me."

Neptune met Sun's scowl with a smirk. "Ain't my fault you can't bluff to save your life, bro."

Sun responded in the mature manner of sticking his tongue out at him.

"How long have you two been here?" Blake asked.

Sun shrugged, looking back at his cards. "Twenty minutes, maybe? We ended up coming early because  _someone_ freaked out thinking we were late."

"I thought Ozpin said nine," Neptune grumbled, drawing a new card from the deck. "My bad."

The minutes ticked by slowly as they waited. Yang had sat down next to Neptune, joining in the game when it became apparent they might be there a while. Blake and Weiss stayed standing, watching the game with slight interest, despite neither of them knowing how to play. Their thoughts, however, were mostly focused on figuring out why Ruby was suddenly feeling excited and happy after being so worried.

Sun had just thrown down another bad hand, all of them laughing at his misfortune when Blake's ears suddenly twitched. She tilted her head up a bit and smiled. "I can hear Ruby. She's close."

Weiss looked at her, slightly envious of Blake's enhanced hearing. She strained her ears, trying to hear what the cat Faunus had. After focusing for a few seconds, she could just hear Ruby's motormouth going from down the hall and around the corner.

" _...Yang got up on this big platform, and started firing as it flew around her…"_

"Oh, boy," Yang said, shaking her head with a small smirk. "Ruby suckered someone else in for storytime." Blake let out a small giggle, thinking about the same.

" _...and then, Weiss used a bunch of velocity glyphs, and sent me moving faster than I've ever gone before! The Nevermore never knew what hit it!"_

Weiss smiled a bit. It had been a few months since she'd heard Ruby recount their first fight at Beacon. The first few weeks after the event, it was all she would talk about to anyone who would listen, their moves and attacks becoming more grandiose with each retelling. It had annoyed Weiss to no end at the time, but after growing closer to Ruby, knowing her as well as she did now, Weiss felt nothing but warm affection towards her youngest girlfriend.

" _Indeed?"_

...and now she felt nothing but pure, abject  _horror._

_No… no, no, it can't be. Why… why would she be here, now? And… oh, Gods! How much did Ruby tell her?!_

Blake and Yang flinched away from Weiss as  _Panic, Fear, Shock_ rolled off Weiss like a tidal wave. The look of terror on her face didn't help them feel any better.

"Weiss?" Blake asked, putting a hand on her shoulder as Yang shot to her feet. "Weiss, what is it?"

Weiss couldn't hear her, her eyes glued on the hallway corner, wishing,  _begging,_  that she had heard wrong, that she'd made a mistake, that…

...that her elder sister Winter wouldn't walk around the corner, an interested look on her face as Ruby hobbled beside her on crutches, babbling away. Penny standing on Winter's other side, looking just as invested in Ruby's tale, only cemented the nightmarish image.

Blake and Yang stared at the approaching trio with wide eyes. Yang leaned over to Weiss and whispered, "Uh, Weiss? Is that…?"

"Winter," Weiss whimpered weakly.

"After that, we… oh, hey guys!" Ruby looked away from Winter, having noticed her team standing outside the elevator. "Look who I found!"

Weiss could only watch in horror, mouth agape, as Winter gave Ruby a calculating look. "I believe  _I_  found  _you_ , Ruby."

Weiss' heart jumped. Since when did Winter call anyone by their first name?

Ruby just shrugged. "Eh… same thing."

Winter seemed unimpressed with her answer, though… no, Weiss must have imagined the slight twitch in Winter's lips.

Weiss nearly flinched when Winter's crystal-blue eyes turned to her, only stopped by years of practice. Winter looked her up and down, and for a heart-stopping moment, Weiss thought her gaze lingered on her neck. The moment was gone just as soon as it happened, and Weiss shuddered as their eyes met. The tension ended, thankfully, when Winter's lips curved into a  _very_  light smile. "Hello, Weiss. You look well."

Weiss felt a bit of weight fall off her shoulders at Winter's tone. It was calm and proper, but it wasn't cold. There was none of the disappointment or judgment Weiss had been fearing. It was faint, but Weiss almost thought she heard a bit of warmth in her sister's voice. With a shy smile, she responded. "T-thank you, Winter. It's good to see you."

Winter gave her a nod, then her gaze drifted to her side, blue eyes scanning Blake and Yang. Weiss flinched internally when Winters' eyes flicked to the top of Blake's head and started feeling uncomfortable when she stared at Yang for a little too long. To their credit, the partners didn't seem that affected by Winter's stare. Blake met her gaze evenly, her face blank, not even reacting when Winter looked pointedly at her ears. Yang just gave her a large smile, though anyone who knew her recognized the glint in her eyes, the one that said, "If you have a problem with me, bring it on."

The analysis ended when Winter nodded to the two. "Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao-Long, I presume?"

Blake gave her a respectful nod, while Yang beamed. "That's us!" the blonde boomed. "You're Weiss' big sister Winter, right?"

Winter raised an eyebrow at her, and Weiss radiated her annoyance at Yang's bluntness and her worry of Winter's reaction. To her relief, Winter simply nodded. "Yes, I am. I would like to have a proper conversation with you both sometime soon, but Professor Ozpin is likely waiting for us. Now…"

Winter paused as she turned back towards Ruby, her words trailing off quietly. While Winter's focus had been on Blake and Yang, Weiss moved closer to Ruby, throwing the red cloak over the younger girl's shoulders and sleep clothes. Ruby gave Weiss a warm smile as the heiress clasped the cloak around her neck, coaxing a small smile from Weiss. Then Weiss' eyes widened, and she glanced towards Winter nervously.

Before even a second had passed, Winter continued like nothing happened. "Ruby," Winter looked down at Ruby, the young leader looking up at her commanding tone. "Is this everyone Professor Ozpin requested?"

Ruby glanced around the hall, taking note of Sun and Neptune frantically cleaning up their messy pile of cards. "Yes, this is everyone," she answered.

Winter nodded at her. "Good. I will go up and inform Professor Ozpin that you are all here. Penny, please wait here for the moment."

Penny gave Winter a sharp salute. "Yes ma'am, Specialist."

Winter returned the salute, Weiss shocked to see that the same small smile on her lips as she did so. With a wave of her scroll, Winter called the elevator and stepped inside. As the doors closed, she met Weiss' eyes one last time, sending a shiver up the younger Schnee's spine.

Once the elevator started its ascent, Yang let out a light hum. "So that's your sister, eh, Weiss?" A small smirk formed on her lips. "She seems  _cool._ "

Weiss didn't even acknowledge Yang's poor attempt at humor, already rounding on Ruby. "Ruby, what did you say to Winter?"

Ruby flinched at Weiss' sudden intensity, ducking her head a little. "Not… much. Just a few stories about our classes. Nothing major."

Weiss narrowed her eyes. There was something in Ruby's voice… like she was hiding something. "Really? That's all? You didn't mention anything that might have been… odd?"

The fact that Ruby wouldn't meet her eyes did not instill confidence. "Um… not…  _exactly…_ "

"Ruby, what did you do?" Weiss was trying very hard not to growl out the words. She was vaguely aware of Yang putting a hand on her shoulder, strong fingers tracing circles on her skin. It calmed Weiss, at least a little.

Ruby made an uncomfortable sound, and there was guilt in her eyes when their eyes met. Ruby quickly looked away.

" _Winterknowswe'reMated."_

Ruby mumbled so fast, Weiss wished she could believe she'd misheard. "W-what?" she breathed in disbelief.

Ruby groaned, then gave Weiss the biggest, fakest,  _guiltiest_  smile she'd ever seen. "Winter, uh… knows that we're Mated?"

…

Weiss stood still as a statue, her eyes wider than ever. Behind her, Blake's shocked expression quickly crumpled as she groaned in the back of her throat, covering her face with her hand. Yang only winced, any annoyance she would have felt towards Ruby being drowned by her sister's own shame and worry.

Off to the side, Sun inhaled sharply, sensing the rising tension in the area. "Oh, this ain't gonna be good." He took a not-so-subtle step away from the Mated quartet, Neptune following suit. Penny looked between the two groups, unsure what exactly the problem was, but decided to follow Sun's lead, standing with the two boys while they waited for-

" _ **WHAT?!"**_

Ruby cringed, her stomach turning at the overwhelming  _Shock, Fear, Panic_  radiating from Weiss. Before she could answer, Weiss was right in her face.

"Why would you tell her that?! I didn't want her to know yet! I-I don't know how she'll react!"

"Weiss, calm down," Yang ordered, pulling the panicked heiress away from Ruby, shooting her sister a sympathetic look.

Weiss turned her focus on the blonde, her emotions growing stronger by the second. "I will not calm down! I have no idea what Winter will think of this, of us! I wanted to…. to… I don't know! Ease her into the idea, or…  _something_! But I can't do that now because Ruby just-"

"She already knew what a Mate's Mark was!"

Weiss stopped mid-word, her head snapping back to Ruby. The leader flinched under the attention, which only grew worse when, as one, the rest of the teenagers turned their attention to her.

"W-what?" Weiss stammered faintly.

Ruby shifted awkwardly in place, her arms starting to feel sore from leaning on her crutches. She tried to meet Weiss' eyes, but the intensity in them made her look away. "Um…" she tried, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "Winter, she… um… she already knew what a Mate's Mark was."

Weiss' look of surprise was mirrored by Yang and Blake, the Faunus' ears perking up a little. "She… did?" Weiss asked.

Ruby gave a slight nod, finally able to meet Weiss' eyes. "Um… yeah, she did. And… when she saw your snowflake on mine…"

Weiss blinked, comprehension in her eyes. "She… oh…"

"Yeah… Sorry, Weiss."

Weiss saw the guilt in Ruby's eyes and felt her shoulders fall in regret. She let out a low sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. "No… no, I'm sorry, Ruby. I shouldn't have blown up like that. Just…" She let her hand fall and gave Ruby a worried frown.

Ruby looked down guiltily. "I didn't really tell her anything. She asked me if I was in a relationship with a Faunus," her eyes darted to Blake, then met Weiss's eyes, "then if you were part of our relationship."

Weiss grimaced, closing her eyes. "And you said yes."

"...sorry?"

Weiss groaned, burying her head in her hands.

Yang frowned, having felt Ruby and Weiss bounce between  _Worry, Fear,_  and  _Guilt_  through the whole conversation. "What exactly is the problem here? What, is Winter anti-Faunus or something?"

Weiss shook her head, crossing her arms as she turned to Yang. "No, not as far as I know. Yang, Winter is extremely critical of… well, everything!" She sighed heavily, looking at the floor. "Our relationship is about as unconventional as possible. I don't know if she'll approve of… us."

Blake hummed in understanding. "And you want her to."

Weiss looked up, blue eyes drifting across each of her girlfriends, her Mates. She shrugged helplessly. "She's my big sister," she muttered quietly. "I want her to be okay with this… You all make me happy. I just wish… I  _hope_  that's enough."

A broken look came across Weiss' face, one that stirred Ruby to action. With a small grunt, she hobbled forward, letting one of her crutches fall as she gave Weiss a strong one-armed hug. Weiss returned it instantly, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl as she rested her chin on her shoulder.

"It'll work out, Weiss," Ruby soothed, giving Weiss a squeeze. "If it helps, she didn't seem angry when she found out."

A weak chuckle broke past Weiss' lips. "Winter always has her emotions locked down tight, Ruby. If she's angry, she won't show it."

"So, not a hothead like you?" Yang quipped with a smirk.

Weiss scoffed, shooting Yang a weak glare. "Yang,  _you_  are not allowed to call anyone a 'hothead'."

Yang's response was to tussle Weiss' hair with a little more force than necessary, prompting the heiress to bat her hand away, telling Yang not to do that.

Ruby pulled away from Weiss, giggling as the two started arguing about which of them was hot-headed. She felt Blake put a hand on her arm, finding the cat Faunus holding her discarded crutch. Smiling to each other, they turned to watch the heated argument unfold, unconcerned given the undercurrent of playfulness the Link added to their barbed words.

After the arguing duo wound down (Yang eventually conceded that she did have the hotter head, given that she was just hotter in general. Weiss gave up rather than risk another argument, this time filled with Yang's groan-worthy puns), and the three outliers were sure there would be no more family-fueled drama, the minutes started slowly ticking by. Team RWBY huddled up together, discussing quietly what they were going to tell Ozpin. Sun and Neptune started their card game up again, while Penny stood over them, watching the game with interest.

As ten minutes passed with no sign of Winter or Ozpin, the group figured they would be stuck waiting until ten. It was only moments after realizing this (and after losing three hands in a row), that Sun decided to break the silence.

"So… can I ask a question?" All eyes turned towards him, Blake meeting his eyes first as he'd looked to her.

"What's up, Sun?" Yang asked.

Tossing down his cards, the game purposefully forgotten, Sun said, "Something's been bugging me since last night, and if you could clear it up, that'd be great."

"What is it?" Ruby asked.

Sun put his hands behind his head, leaning back against the wall. "What were you guys talking about last night? I tried to follow, but I kinda got lost when you started talking about you guys using the wrong Semblances."

Weiss grimaced, while Yang and Ruby shared a look. Blake looked around at her Mates, receiving nothing but helpless shrugs. "Something weird happened during the fight with Torchwick," she finally admitted. "I… I don't know how, but… he had me and Ruby pinned down, but right when he went to finish us off, I threw up my arms and…" She trailed off, unsure how to properly explain.

Yang had no such problem. "Blake somehow made one of Weiss' glyphs."

Sun blinked, while Neptune just seemed confused. "She… made a glyph?" The blue-haired boy asked. "Like, those spinning snowflakes Weiss can make?"

Weiss made a disgruntled sound at his description. "Yes, one of those. Except, this one was purple."

Sun's mouth opened a bit in surprise. "Uhh... "

"Oh, it gets better," Yang cut in, crossing her arms with a smirk. "Right after that, I start running to pound on the mech, and suddenly I blasted off across the field just like this one always does." She threw an arm around Ruby's shoulders, giving her sister a shake strong enough to nearly make her drop her crutches.

"You used Ruby's super-speed?" Penny asked, tilting her head with a puzzled look on her face.

Yang grinned wider, a spark of excitement in her eyes. "Yep! With those rose petals and everything. Except, y'know, yellow." She finished with a small shrug.

Sun stared at her, mouth agape. Then, with a blink, he snapped it shut. "...okay, it's official: you four are the weirdest team I've ever seen."

Ruby pouted, while Weiss and Blake gave him a flat stare. Yang, however, snorted in amusement. "Well, you ain't wrong."

"But… that should be impossible," Penny piped up, her brow scrunched in confusion. Her eyes glowed brightly, tiny streams of blue dancing across them. "No one has ever used another person's Semblance, according to my records." She frowned, her eyes glowing brighter. "Maybe if I search the internet…"

"Do you guys have any idea how you did it?" Neptune asked, arms crossed in thought.

Blake shook her head, looking down as she turned her hands over, eyeing her palms. "Not a clue. It just… happened."

Neptune groaned lightly in discontent. "C'mon, there has to be more than that." He glared down at the floor as if staring at a puzzle that was missing pieces. "Something had to have caused it. I mean, people don't just gain a second Semblance."

At his words, Ruby frowned. Something Neptune said sounded familiar. "Second Semblance…" she muttered to herself.

It hit her like a bolt of lightning. Ruby's eyes grew huge as she latched onto the idea. "Yes they do!" she shouted, startling the group.

"Uh," Neptune droned slowly. "No, they d-"

"Blake!" Ruby steamrolled right over him, spinning on her crutches so fast she nearly fell. Blake and Weiss both reached out to steady her, and both could practically feel the excited energy buzzing beneath her skin. "You told us before that Mates could gain a second Semblance! What if that's what's going on?"

Blake frowned in confusion, but her eyes soon widened. "You mean… an Affinity?"

Weiss and Yang jolted in surprise at Blake's words, while Sun's jaw dropped. "Whoa, whoa!" he said, jumping to his feet. "Are you serious? Affinities are super rare. Like, one in a million rare. You think you guys got one?"

"Wait, seriously? Oh, man, that would be epic if we-"

"Uh…" Neptune raised a hand as he clambered to his feet, cutting off whatever Yang was going to say. "Could someone please explain to the uninformed human? What's an Affinity?"

Blake and Sun shared a look, Sun giving her a small shrug. Blake turned to Neptune, about to speak, when Penny cut her off.

"Affinity," the synthetic girl recited, her eyes glowing. "A unique ability shared between Faunus Mates, created from the mixing of auras, not unlike a Semblance. Chances to attain one estimated at two-to-five percent. Chances increase if the parents of a Mated Faunus have an Affinity, though exact chances are unknown." Penny blinked, and her eyes faded back to normal. She met Blake's eyes, head tilted. "Is that correct?"

Blake blinked at her, stunned. "U-uh… yes," she said, shaking off her shock. She managed a small smile. "That's exactly it, Penny. Thank you."

Penny beamed. "Happy to help."

"But…" Weiss said, putting her hand to her chin in a thinking pose. "That still doesn't make sense. An Affinity is the same ability shared between Mates. You and Yang used two completely different powers."

Blake frowned. Weiss had a point, but… it still felt like something was missing.

"Have you guys tried it since?"

All eyes turned towards Sun, who looked back curiously.

"Tried what?" Yang asked.

"Using Ruby's superspeed," he bobbed his head towards Blake. "Or making another glyph. Have you tried yet?"

Blake hesitated, her ears dipping nervously. She looked to Yang, and the blonde could only offer a shrug. "No," she said to Sun. "We haven't. I guess it slipped our minds after last night."

"Well, try it!" Sun pushed, looking a little excited. "See if you can do it again."

Blake's ears shot up.. "What… here? Now?" The rest of her team looked equally surprised.

Sun nodded. "Sure. Make sure last night wasn't a fluke or something."

Yang looked thoughtful for a moment, excited even, but quickly shook her head. "Tempting, but… I ain't trying right now. I remember when Ruby was first learning her Semblance and, even if I could pull it off, I'd rather not accidentally blast through a wall." Beside her, Ruby grimaced. Yeah, those early days hurt a lot, especially before she learned how to run and  _stop._  And those walls didn't always break!

Still, Ruby latched onto the idea, new fantasies forming in her head. If her team really had formed an Affinity, one that somehow let Blake use glyphs and Yang superspeed, she wanted to know exactly what it was. And if Yang was out, that left…

Blake felt Ruby's curiosity and excitement before she met her leader's bright silver eyes. She didn't even need to ask, she already knew what Ruby was thinking. Her ears pinned back again, wary of the look on Ruby's face. "Ruby…"

"Could you try it?" Ruby asked, her tone calm, but hopeful. Blake wasn't fooled, however. In addition to her escalating emotions, Ruby's eyes were twinkling in awe, just at the thought of Blake using Weiss' Semblance.

Blake let out a distressed huff. "Ruby, last night was an accident. I don't even know how to make a glyph."

Ruby was disappointed for all of a second before her head snapped towards Weiss. "Weiss could you-"

"No," Weiss denied forcefully, exasperation in her tone. "I can't just show her how to make a glyph, Ruby. It takes years of practice to get to the point I am at, and I'm still not that good at it." She continued before any of her team could deny her words, though her chest warmed at feeling that they were all about to do exactly that. "Each of my glyphs is different, complex. None of them are as easy as just waving my hand and having it appear."

"One of them is."

Weiss shot Yang an unamused look, making the blonde put her hands up in defense. "Hey, I'm just saying. Blake was able to make that one last night without a thought. So  _that_  one, at least, can't be too hard to make."

Weiss opened her mouth to retort, then paused. She hesitated, looking deep in thought. "Well," she said hesitantly. "Maybe there is one. But…" She turned to Blake, frowning slightly. "Blake?"

Blake looked down, thinking. She looked to Ruby, seeing the excitement in her eyes, and Yang, who stared back curiously. "I… could try," she said hesitantly, meeting Weiss' eyes. "What exactly do you want me to do?"

Weiss just stared for a moment, her lips pulled to a fine line. Then she let out a sigh of exasperation, muttering under her breath… "Of all the ridiculous things…" Her eyes sharpened, and she took a step forward. "A simple barrier glyph. A single hand motion, with a simple command."

"Command?" Blake repeated, confused by the term.

Weiss ignored her, holding out her hand, palm up. "Easy enough to start out." She bent her fingers, crossing her pinkie over her ring finger. Her hand glowed with white light, and a small glyph a foot wide formed above it, spinning lazily. "It's the simplest glyph I know and the easiest to make."

Blake eyed the spinning snowflake, trying to remember what Weiss had just done. "Okay…" she said slowly, turning her palm up beside Weiss'. Trying to ignore everyone's eyes on her, she asked, "How do you do it?"

Weiss' eyes met hers briefly, before jumping back to their hands. Her fingers relaxed, and the glyph faded away. "First, you need to picture what you want to make. Think of a smooth surface, something solid."

Blake's brow furrowed as she tried to understand. "Like what?"

"Anything," Weiss said, still looking down. "A shield, a wall, anything will work, so long as you can picture it clearly."

Blake frowned in thought, the first thing she latched onto was the wall behind her bed. She leaned against it often enough as she read, she could picture it easily. "Okay… I think I have something… now what?"

"Now, try to cycle your aura through your arm." At Blake's confused look, she clarified. "Have your aura run down your arm to your fingers, then back up to your elbow. Keep a constant flow of aura moving through your arm."

With a slight nod, Blake tried to replicate what Weiss described. A slight tingle built in her arm started rushing through it, speeding up to her thumb, through each of her fingers, then back down her pinkie. "Next?"

Weiss pursed her lips, radiating indecision. "Then… move your fingers… like this." She bent and crossed her fingers like before, slower this time so that Blake could see. The instant the motion was complete, white light enveloped her hand, and a small ringing sound filled the air, another glyph phasing into existence above Weiss' hand.

Blake stared at the glyph, her heartbeat increasing. She looked at her hand, feeling her aura rushing beneath her skin.  _Can I really…?_  Slowly, she moved her fingers.

Weiss was still talking as she did. "If you've done it right, the glyphs should just appear. At least, that's how it worked the first time I formed-"

_Shriiing!_

"-this… glyph… oh,  _wow_ …"

Weiss and Blake both looked down in amazement. Beside Weiss' glyph was an off-color copy, a violet snowflake spinning at the same slow speed.

"I… I did it," Blake breathed. A tentative smile formed on her lips, growing larger by the moment. "I made a glyph."

Weiss nodded dimly, shock plain on her face. "Yes… you did."

"Okay," Yang piped in, reminding the monochrome pair that they had an audience. " _That_  is seriously awesome."

Murmurs of agreement came from the surrounding teenagers, save Ruby, who was looking at the two glyphs with just as much contemplation as excitement.

"How's it feel, Blake?" Yang asked, leaning in close to the pair, looking between the two glyphs in awe.

Blake thought for a moment, making sure to keep her aura moving as Weiss instructed, watching the violet light dance across her hand. "It… doesn't really feel like anything," she admitted, puzzled.

"It's an extension of yourself," Weiss said quietly, finally lifting her eyes from the glyphs. "It's like your arm or your leg. It's there, but you don't feel it unless something happens to it." To demonstrate, Weiss lifted her free hand and gently placed it on top of Blake's glyph.

Blake sucked in a startled breath. Weiss was right, she could feel her glyph as easily as she could her arm, feeling Weiss' cool hand on its surface. It was disconcerting as she and her glyph were clearly separated, yet somehow felt attached, as if there was a phantom connection running from her brain to the glyph.

"Penny, can you hold this?"

Blake and Weiss jumped, startled from their thoughts. They turned just as Ruby handed her left crutch to Penny, who just looked confused.

"Ruby?" Yang questioned.

Ruby glanced at her sister, then held up her now free hand, looking at it intently. "I want to try something." She took a step closer to Blake and Weiss, holding her hand open just as Blake had.

Realizing what Ruby wanted to do, Weiss said, "Ruby, I don't even know how Blake can do this. You can't just expect-"

As Weiss was speaking, Ruby stared at her hand, her eyes narrowed in concentration. She twitched her fingers.

For a brief moment, Ruby thought it had worked. Her hand glowed, and a wispy, red circle formed above it. In the next instant, however, the light flickered out, and the circle collapsed, fading away like crimson snow.

"Aww…" Ruby pouted as she flexed her empty hand, oblivious to the freshly shocked teens around her. "I thought I had it."

"You had the gesture wrong," Weiss said faintly, drawing Ruby's attention.

"I did?" she asked.

Weiss swallowed, then bobbed her head to the glyph in her hand. "You didn't have your index finger bent right… see?"

Ruby looked at Weiss, then Blake's. "Oh… okay, let me try again." She held her palm up, then replicated the position of their fingers. 'Like- THIS?!" She squeaked when her hand was engulfed in red, and another snowflake joined the other two. Bright red, the same color as Ruby's cloak, with a darker shade backing it. Unlike the other two, Ruby's was spinning wildly, matching excitement plain in Ruby's smile.

"I did it!" she cried proudly. If it wasn't for her braced leg, she'd have jumped for joy. "I can make glyphs, too!"

Blake beamed at her, no less confused, but unable to be worried in the face of Ruby's joy. Weiss stared at the crimson glyph, eyes darting between it and its violet counterpart. Slowly, bolstered by Ruby's exhilaration and pride, Weiss' unease was pushed aside, and a small smile spread across her lips. "Y-yeah." A shaky grin escaped her lips. "You can. You  _did_. And…" She trailed off, her gaze snapping to Yang.

Yang didn't hesitate, practically shaking in anticipation. "Like you're leaving me out of this!" She laughed, throwing up her hand next to the others. "If Ruby can do this, I probably can too. So, once the aura's moving, I just move my fingers like this, right?"

Weiss watched Yang's fingers bend, and her eye widened in panic. "Yang, wait, you didn't cross your-!"

Anything else Weiss was going to say was drowned out by a sharp, piercing sound, like the echo of glass shattering. For all of a second, a golden yellow glyph formed over Yang's palm, before expanding rapidly. The edge of the glyph shattered through the others, hitting all four girls at once in the stomach. It knocked the wind out of them, sending them to the floor.

As Yang crashed to the floor, throwing her hands out to catch herself, the oversized glyph faded away, peaking at the size of a dining room table. Everyone stared at the empty air in shock.

"Uh…" Yang droned in confusion. "What just happened?"

Weiss groaned, rubbing at the small bump the hallway wall had given her when she slammed into it. "You didn't cross your fingers. That's the part of the gesture that helps control size."

"Oh. My bad."

Weiss shot Yang a look, slightly annoyed. Then she slumped, smiling ruefully as she climbed to her feet. "It's okay. I did the same thing when I was first learning."

Yang blinked, then grinned. "Yeah, well… I did it, though! For a second there, I saw it!"

"And felt it," Ruby moaned, holding one hand to her stomach while she rubbed her braced leg with the other. "Ow, ow,  _ow_."

As Yang helped Ruby back to her feet, Blake looked around at her Mates.  _Disbelief, Excitement, Curiosity, Awe_ radiated from them all, matching her own feelings perfectly. She laughed lightly at the absurdity of it all. "We can all make glyphs," she said in disbelief.

"I think it's more than that," Ruby countered, leaning on Yang as the blonde took her crutch back from Penny. When everyone looked to her, Ruby clarified. "Think about it: we can all use Weiss' glyphs, but Yang was also able to use my super speed. And Weiss, you said yesterday you think you used it too, didn't you?"

Weiss thought back to that moment, high above the Vale streets. "I'm… not sure, Ruby," she answered honestly. "I just know that what happened felt a lot like what Yang described."

Ruby nodded excitedly. "Well, if you two can use my Semblance, then Blake probably could, too." She looked quickly at Blake, seeing the Faunus blink in surprise. "And we can all use Weiss'. So…" She started looking between Yang and Blake, practically vibrating with anticipation.

Yang's eyes widened at the same time Blake's did. "Maybe it extends to me and Yang," Blake finished.

Yang let out a near-manic laugh, a gleam in her eye that Weiss and Blake had only ever seen in Ruby. "Okay, we  _need_  to figure this out. 'Cause if we can each use each other's Semblances… hell, what if we can use more than one at the same time? Oh, we could kick so much-"

" _Let's_  calm down for a second, Yang," Weiss interrupted, placing a hand on Yang's shoulder. Truth be told, between Ruby's giddiness and Yang's enthusiasm, both she and Blake could feel the start of an adrenaline rush threatening to kick off. Trying to bring everyone back to reality, Weiss continued. "I agree we should test this further, but in case you've forgotten, we are waiting for a meeting with Professor Ozpin. Let's get this out of the way first, then we can spend the rest of the day…  _experimenting_ with this."

Yang frowned down at her, her excited buzz dieing down quickly. "Man, nearly forgot about that." She crossed her arms with a scowl. "I hope this is over with soon. Now I have all these ideas."

"Same here, Yang," Ruby agreed, stars dancing in her eyes like she'd been handed the keys to a high-grade weapons factory.

_**Ding!** _

All eyes turned towards the elevator, some more surprised than others. The doors slid open, and Glynda Goodwitch stepped out, holding the door open. She looked over the seven teens, then nodded to herself. "It seems everyone is here. Professor Ozpin is ready for you all. We'll have to make two trips, given the size of the elevator. Team RWBY, if you would enter first."

Ruby looked to each member of her team, feeling a bout of  _Apprehension_  from Blake and  _Worry_  from Weiss. It was tempered by the  _Confidence_  Yang exuded, who Ruby sent a thankful look towards. Giving Weiss and Blake an encouraging smile, Ruby pushed her crutches forward, leading them in.

As the group started towards the elevator, Neptune leaned over towards Sun. "So, if I heard that right, each of them basically has  _four_  Semblances then, right?" he whispered.

Sun nodded, a bemused smile on his lips. "Sounds like. Kind of epic, ain't it?"

Neptune nodded back slowly. "Yeah, but… if we end up going against them…" He shot Sun a significant look. "We ain't winning the tournament, are we?"

Sun barked a laugh, getting an odd look from Blake. Unconcerned, he replied. "Oh, not a chance in hell." He grinned widely, an excited gleam in his eyes. "Gonna be a fun fight, though."

Neptune rolled his eyes at his friend's flippant attitude. Sun was still chuckling when the elevator doors slid shut.

Penny merely stared at the closed doors, head tilted to the side as the previous few minutes played back in her mind. After a moment, she reached a conclusion. "I have chosen some very strange friends," she said with a nod and a smile.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! Life got a little crazy. Expect a lot more chapters very soon!


	3. Adventure's Aftermath

 

As the elevator ascended, Ruby gave Blake a worried look, feeling her  _Apprehension_. "Are you sure about this, Blake?" she whispered, mindful of Professor Goodwitch standing at the front of the elevator.

Blake turned to her, looking thoughtful. She took a deep breath, letting it back out slowly. "No," she admitted honestly. She gave Ruby a small smile, trying to at least look confident. "But… I promised myself that I won't run from my problems anymore. Ozpin wants to know why we fought Torchwick… and I'm going to tell him the truth."

"Hey," Yang said, looking back at them with a grin. "Don't sweat it, Blakey. Whatever happens, we got your back.

Weiss nodded in agreement, though her thoughts were elsewhere.  _Winter never came back down from Ozpin's office. So she… oh, Dust, she's going to sit in on the meeting. She's going to hear everything about Blake and how we're helping her with the White Fang, us meeting up with Penny… oh, no._ Weiss grimaced, biting her lip.  _What if they ask what I was doing at the CCT? I'll have to tell Winter I stole from the company._

It suddenly hit Weiss how her life at Beacon must look to someone completely uninformed.

_I've stolen highly confidential information from the most powerful company in the world. I've participated in a life-or-death battle against a piece of experimental military technology. I'm in a polyamorous relationship with three girls, two of whom are siblings. And, due to that relationship, I'm apparently capable of using four different Semblances._

The thought of Winter learning all these things in rapid succession sent Weiss' anxiety skyrocketing. Yet, just one look at the warm, concerned faces around her, and she couldn't bring herself to regret any of it. That was her life now, and she was happy with it.

_I just hope Winter understands that._

Before they knew it, the elevator doors slid open, and they stepped into Professor Ozpin's office. The morning sun streamed through its many windows, bathing the room with warm light.

In the middle of the room, Ozpin himself sat behind his desk. He stared intently at the various papers and charts littering the desk's surface, an unreadable expression on his face. To their surprise, he wasn't alone.

Weiss blinked, not expecting to see General Ironwood standing behind Ozpin, leaning over his shoulder as he pointed to one of the charts, speaking in a low tone she couldn't make out. Whatever he was saying must have been important, given the deep crease in his brow.

Beside her, Blake drew a sharp breath.  _Shock_  and  _Fear_  made each girl turn towards the Faunus. Blake was staring at Ironwood with wide eyes, her cat ears pinned back. After a few seconds of confusion, Weiss guessed at what was wrong.

 _Ironwood has been opposing the White Fang for years,_  she thought.  _So just last year… oh, Blake._  Weiss tried to imagine what it would be like to suddenly find yourself in the same room with someone who, until recently, was not only your enemy but the leader of your enemy. The closest she could think of was being face to face with Adam Taurus… though, that potential fear was offset with an irrational desire for just that situation, if only for the chance to return just a  _fraction_  of the pain he'd inflicted on Blake.

As Blake's  _Fear_  increased steadily, Weiss quickly grabbed Blake's hand, holding it in her own. The suddenness of it startled Blake enough to break her train of thought, making her turn towards the heiress. Weiss gave her a comforting smile, squeezing her hand tightly. On Blake's other side, Yang nudged with her elbow, flashing a grin. Blake smiled back at them, thankful.

A clearing throat caught their attention, and Weiss winced at the sound. Winter was looking at the group, standing off to the side away from the desk. Given the calculating stare she was giving Weiss, she had watched the whole interaction. Weiss understood what Ruby had meant earlier in the hallway. She'd give anything to know what her sister was feeling behind her glacial facade.

Winter's cleared throat also served to gain Ozpin's attention, he and Ironwood looking up from the paperwork, Ironwood straightening up to his full height. Ozpin gave his usual small smile to the group, calmly gathering the papers on his desk into a nice, neat pile. "Ah, Team RWBY. Right on time. I assume Professor Goodwitch is bringing up the others?"

As one, the team turned back towards the elevator, finding the elevator doors closed and Goodwitch nowhere to be found. They hadn't even heard her get back on it! With a small frown, Ruby said, "Yes, sir."

Ozpin nodded. "Good. Once they arrive, the meeting will commence, and we'll try to get this all settled so you all can enjoy your Sunday."

To Team RWBY's surprise, Ironwood's eyes darted to Ozpin, almost in disapproval. He said nothing, though.

They only had to wait a few minutes for the elevator to open again, Sun, Neptune, and Penny taking their places at Ruby's side. Sun swallowed nervously when he saw both headmasters, while Neptune merely grimaced, resigning himself to just how screwed they were. Penny ducked her head when she met Ironwood's eyes, quickly looking away when he frowned at her.

Ironwood opened his mouth to say something, only for Ozpin to shoot him a stern look. The two headmasters held each other's gaze, making everyone in the room tense. After a few seconds, Ironwood relented, folding his arms with an exasperated sigh. Ozpin smiled a half-grin, turning back towards the students. "Gentlemen, Penny. Thank you for joining us." He paused for a moment as Goodwitch walked around his desk, whispering as she handed him her scroll. His brow raised a fraction as he looked at it. He nodded to Goodwitch in thanks, setting the scroll aside.

He looked over the assembled students, making a point to meet each of their eyes. Penny winced when he looked at her, only able to keep eye contact due to her constant teachings about respecting authority. To her delighted surprise, and the relief of all those around her, Ozpin's expression didn't change when he looked to her, keeping the same warm, wry smile that he'd given to the other teens. Penny smiled back, and Ruby let out a small sigh of relief, drawing curious stares from her teammates.

Satisfied with what he saw, Ozpin laced his fingers in front of him, smile still in place. "Good morning, students," he greeted, his tone no different than any other day. He motioned towards Ironwood as he said. "If you don't mind, as General Ironwood has been dealing with the aftermath of your little adventure last night, he will be sitting in on our meeting. Now," He leaned forward, propping his elbows up on the desk and threading his hands, a stern gleam in his eyes. "Ladies, gentlemen, please start from the beginning. How did this series of events come to pass?"

There was an awkward moment of silence as the teens looked to each other waiting for one of them to speak first. Blake caught Ruby's eye, a silent question in her silver gaze, and saw Yang give her an encouraging nod. Blake took a deep breath, bracing herself. She opened her eyes, stepping forward. "Sir… It was my idea to start with. I wanted to know what the White Fang were up to…"

* * *

**One Hour Later**

"Given that we were merely assisting Team RWBY with their mission, once we regrouped to fight the Paladin, I turned control of Neptune and myself over to Ruby…"

Ruby grimaced as she listened to Sun speak, trying her hardest to ignore her throbbing arms. In the last hour, she'd heard the same story told at least three times, once by herself, Weiss, and Penny, then from Yang and Neptune, and now from Sun and Blake. She knew  _why_  it was necessary: the headmasters wanted to know every detail about the fight from every angle. But that didn't change just how boring it all was!

Ruby had been a bundle of nerves at the start of it. When it quickly became apparent that Blake was going to try and have all the blame heaped onto herself, Ruby had leapt in to clarify that, no, the entire mess was a team effort. Of course, Ozpin asked her to explain.

Thus began the disjointed retelling of the previous day, as each group stumbled through exactly what happened, the partners-for-the-day having to fill in the blanks whenever one of them got stuck. All in all, it was pretty complete, right down to Blake explaining, in detail when prompted, why her agenda with the White Fang was so strong.

To everyone's relief, while Ironwood and Winter had been shocked by the mentions of Adam Taurus and certain White Fang related events, Ozpin, and Goodwitch for that matter, had barely batted an eye. The cryptic headmaster simply gave Blake an understanding smile, waving for her to continue. He'd met Ironwood's incredulous gaze evenly, almost challengingly, and the General soon relented, letting the matter drop for the moment.

However, one thing remained unsaid: their Semblances. Through some unsaid understanding, Team RWBY made no mention whatsoever of the bizarre change in ability. Ruby wasn't sure why, but the thought of telling the three school leaders in the room about their potential Affinity, and therefore their relationship, made her gut twist. It wasn't fear, not really. She doubted Ozpin or Goodwitch would take issue with their status, but she didn't know about Ironwood. She wasn't sure how the man would react, or what he'd do with such information.

Plus, things seemed tense enough between the headmasters. Every so often, one of the teens would say or describe something that would make Ironwood go to speak, only for Ozpin to silence him with a stern look. Other times, Ironwood would look towards Ozpin when something was said, as if to check Ozpin's reaction, then frown when Ozpin did nothing.

Ruby was pulled from her thoughts when she heard Blake's retelling come to a close. "...then we got onto the freeway, meeting up with the others."

Ozpin nodded to her. "And we already know how events went from there. Thank you, Ms. Belladonna." Grasping his cane, Beacon's Headmaster rose to his feet. "Well, it sounds like we have a fairly complete picture of what happened last night. Though, I believe the General has a few questions still?" He turned towards Ironwood expectantly.

The General met his gaze, looking slightly annoyed, but nodded nonetheless. "A few," he confirmed, his eyes skimming from Penny to Blake.

Ozpin's smile looked suspiciously like a smirk. "I'll admit, I have one or two myself. But, by all means." Ozpin gave a small wave towards the students, giving Ironwood the floor.

Ironwood nodded to him, then turned his gaze to one teen in particular. "Ms. Belladonna."

Blake shrank under the General's gaze, her cat ears pinning back. The old instinct to  _run, run, run_  flared up, her legs tensing at the temptation to bolt. She fought it down, helped in no small part by the  _Strength, Calm, Protectiveness_ washing over her from either side. Still, she couldn't help the small shudder that ran down her spine.

Ironwood raised a brow at her uncomfortableness, saying, "Young lady, I hope you appreciate the position you've put me in." He ignored the curious and concerned looks all the students were sending Blake's way, Penny included. He continued. "While I've encountered defected White Fang members in the past, none have been as high ranking as you. With the sheer amount of criminal activity you've admitted to today, I would be well within my rights to have you arrested."

As Ironwood expected, his words drew a strong reaction from the surrounding teens. What he hadn't expected was not only how strong that emotion would be, but from who it came from.

The boys looked shocked and worried, Sun just barely stopping from saying something very insulting to the General. Ruby's eyes widened, gripping her crutches so tight her knuckles turned white. After the shock of Ironwood's words faded, Yang's face darkened, her eyes blazing red in an instant. All fairly expected, given what little he knew about the teens. But the two exceptions nearly made Ironwood's mouth fall open.

The moment the word "arrested" passed Ironwood's lips, two things happened. The first was Penny's eyes widening, looking quickly between the General and Blake. She almost looked… conflicted. A far cry from the respectful understanding he'd expected.

The other was subtler but even more shocking. Weiss' eyes widened just like the others, but almost immediately, they hardened, the crystal blue orbs turning to ice. It was a look Ironwood had seen several times on Winter, though only for one reason: when she was angry. Even more concerning was the slight twitch of the younger Schnee's hand, her fingers forming a familiar gesture. Though nothing happened, the General knew that all it would take was a quick pulse of aura, and there'd be a massive glyph between him and Blake Belladonna.

 _She… she's ready to fight me._  Having the thought didn't make it feel any less insane. A Schnee, the heiress of their entire company, was ready to defend a former White Fang member. Their former second-in-command, no less, against the leader of the entire Atlassian Military.

Ironwood shot Ozpin a look, though this time Ozpin didn't look back. He just kept smiling at the teens, only now with  _pride_  in his eyes. Ironwood glanced at Winter, but she didn't take notice. Her attention was fully on her sister, staring from her face to her hand with rarely seen shock in her eyes.

Ironwood fought the urge to groan. His train of thought derailed, Ironwood turned his attention back to Blake. "However," he said slowly, meeting Blake's fearful eyes. "Given that you are enrolled here at Beacon… and that Professor Ozpin has not reacted to this information in the slightest…" Ozpin's only reaction to his accusatory tone was a raised eyebrow. "I can only assume that he was aware of all this beforehand, and will vouch for your credibility."

"Right on both accounts, General."

Ironwood sighed in exasperation. This was payback for building Penny, he just knew it. "Still, Ms. Belladonna, I want some assurance that this is not all some elaborate ploy by the White Fang. Such things have happened before."

Blake looked at her shoes, guilt palpable.

"I need to know that we can trust you to walk around this city unsupervised. Where do your loyalties lie?"

Blake looked back at the General, her ears dipping low. Her eyes lowered in thought. After a moment, she said, "Sir… my loyalties lie with Menagerie. They lie with my family. They lie with every person, Faunus or otherwise, who wishes for a better world… for everyone, not just themselves." She met Ironwood's gaze, her eyes sad, but determined. "I… don't believe Adam's White Fang is among that number. Not anymore."

Ironwood held her stare evenly. Her answer wasn't quite what he was expecting. It hadn't been a lie, he could tell that, but it wasn't as clear-cut an answer as he'd hoped. Her friends seemed okay with it, though, given the approving smiles sent her way, along with a supportive thump on the back from Yang.

Ironwood glanced at Winter, asking for her input. All his second could offer was a miniscule shrug, her eyes still zeroed in on her younger sister. Ironwood sighed. "I suppose I can accept that," he said begrudgingly. When the teens looked to him in surprise, he added, "Bear in mind, I'll still be keeping an eye on you, just in case."

That earned a scowl from Yang, but Blake simply nodded in understanding. "I'd expect nothing less, sir."

Ironwood nodded in return, letting the matter drop. "Now, as for my second question…" His gaze focused on Penny, the android straightening under his scrutiny. To the room at large, he said, "There is the matter of you all knowing Penny's status as a synthetic being."

Several eyes turned towards said synthetic, Penny ducking her head at the attention. Seeing how uncomfortable she was, Ruby took a wobbly step forward, her crutches creaking. "Is us knowing what she is some kind of problem, sir?"

At her tone, Ironwood's brow raced to his hairline. Ruby sounded… genuine. As if she wasn't sure if there was a problem or not. "Miss Rose," he said slowly. "Penny's existence as synthetic was meant to be kept secret from everyone save myself, Specialist Winter, and a select group of scientists involved in her development. While it appears there were certain individuals I should have kept in the know…" No one missed the not-so-subtle glance Ozpin sent Ironwood's way. "...Professor Ozpin and I both agree that Penny's origin should remain a secret from the public."

Ruby frowned, which only grew when Ozpin nodded once in agreement.

"But… why?" she couldn't help but ask. "What's wrong with her-?"

"Ruby…"

Everyone once again looked towards Penny, who was focusing on Ruby. There was a small frown on her lips. "As happy as I am that you accept what I am, all of you," She looked around the room, a warm smile forming as she met each teen's eyes. Her smile faded quickly as she looked down, still addressing Ruby. "I'm afraid that most people would find my existence… unsettling."

Ruby could only shake her head, not understanding. Ozpin then spoke, drawing their attention. "Miss Rose," he said to Ruby. "For all the greatness we have achieved, the fact remains that we are a flawed people. One of those flaws is a fear of that which we don't understand. A robotic being which can pass for human in every way? That is a rather significant unknown."

Ironwood nodded in agreement. "That's why none of you are to breathe a word about Penny's origin. For the time being, she must remain a secret. Do you all understand?"

Each teen gave some form of agreement, save Ruby. She kept frowning at the ground, her brow furrowed in thought. It wasn't until Weiss elbowed her in the side that she looked up, meeting Ironwood's eyes. Her frown deepened, but she reluctantly nodded.

"Good," Ironwood said, nodding in return. He looked towards Ozpin. "That's all I have for the group."

Ozpin rose an eyebrow at him, noting how his eyes flicked towards Penny. Ignoring it for a moment, he instead faced the group, smiling wryly. "Well, as for myself, I have less of a question and more of a statement." He walked to the front of the desk, scooping up the scroll Glynda had given him in the process. As he tapped across its surface, he said, "While I am impressed by your loyalty towards each other, especially that you are all such a…  _diverse_  group," His eyes flicked around, focusing briefly on Weiss and Penny, "the fact remains that you put yourselves into a situation far beyond your abilities."

"But," Yang cried, sounding insulted. "Sir, we-"

"Are teenagers, Miss Xiao Long," Ozpin interrupted, giving Yang a hard stare that made the blonde shrink back. "Hunters and Huntresses-in-training. Now, I won't deny you are skilled, prodigies, in fact. But raw talent and fortuitous circumstances will only take you so far. You are here to learn, not only to fight and protect but to survive. Tell me: when you all set out to gather information last night, did any of you think you would end up confronting a threat such as that Paladin?"

Awkward silence and bashful looks answered him. Then Sun asked, "Sir, how the heck could we prepare for that?"

Ozpin smiled at the monkey Faunus, nodding in approval. "Precisely, Mr. Wukong. You couldn't have. However, preparation is only one half of the issue. The other is your reaction to unforeseen circumstances. In your retelling, I noticed that the first thing you all did once the Paladin came off the freeway was to immediately continue fighting it. Did any of you consider calling for help, or even consider that you might be outmatched?" The answering silence, coupled with Weiss' pinking cheeks and Yang's small scowl, earned a rueful chuckle from him. "Children… while I applaud your enthusiasm and understand your reasoning, I cannot condone you charging into a fight you are so underprepared for, especially when other options are available. Doing so can lead to loss of life…" He glanced briefly at Ironwood, smiling slyly, "...or  _limb_."

Ironwood stared back unamused, unconsciously flexing his right hand.

"Therefore, I can see only one course of action." His eyes hardened, his lips forming a tight line as he stared down the teens. Dread filled each of them, their imaginations running away with them. Weiss thought of expulsion, having to face her father's wrath at having failed, while Blake's mind was filled with handcuffs and iron bars. Ruby and Yang looked towards their Mates with worry, wanting to reach out and drive away their  _Fear_  and  _Worry._  As it was, they had their own thoughts on what Ozpin had in store for them, though of a much tamer sort.

"Detention."

That was it.

Yang slumped where she stood, holding herself back from hanging her head. Ruby had no such issue, her crutches the only thing keeping her shoulders level. Seeing Weiss and Blake visibly relax, feeling their  _Relief_ , was a small comfort, though.

Ironwood blinked at Ozpin, furrowing his brow. "Detention?" he asked, clearly confused. "That's it?"

To the side, Winter appeared stunned. She looked between Ozpin and the group, baffled eyes focusing on Weiss, who could only offer a miniscule shrug in response.

Ozpin gave his counterpart a significant look. "I believe it more than fitting. Foolhardy as their adventure may have been, no harm has been done on their part. They've committed no crime, caused no damage to themselves or others, save Miss Polendina and Miss Rose, both of whom are on the fast track to recovery. I'd say that a couple of weeks detention would be a fair punishment."

"Weeks?!" Yang exclaimed, looking positively appalled. She winced under the reprimanding glare Weiss sent her, made all the stronger by Winter doing the same.

Ozpin merely smiled serenely. "Yes, Miss Xiao-Long. Two weeks to be exact. After your usual class schedule, you will all, as a group, assist whichever teacher requires assistance for the day with their various tasks. I'm sure Professor Goodwitch can determine who will require assistance each day."

Glynda nodded, looking down at her scroll. "I can start making a list. I believe the maintenance workers could use help moving our latest shipments of training bots." She looked up from the screen at Weiss, fixing the heiress with a flat stare. Again, Weiss' cheeks reddened as she looked down in embarrassment.

"Um, sir?" Neptune asked, raising his hand hesitantly. "What about me and Sun?"

"You two will be serving detention with Team RWBY." Before either boy could protest, (which, given Sun's dropped jaw, he was about to), Ozpin held up his hand. "I've already spoken to Professor Lionheart, and he agreed with me on including both of you in their punishment. He mentioned you by name, Mr. Wukong. Something about learning to stay out of trouble?"

Sun's eyes widened, then he crossed his arms with a scowl, pointedly ignoring Neptune's accusing glare.

"And… me, sir?" Penny asked quietly.

Ozpin gave Penny a calculating look. "Your punishment, Miss Polendina, is not up to me. General?"

Ironwood frowned as Ozpin turned towards him. There was a look in Ozpin's eye, unmistakable in its meaning. With a sigh, Ironwood looked to Penny. "If you'll take her, Oz, it seems like a fair punishment."

Ozpin smiled wryly, nodding. "It's decided, then. Penny, you, along with Sun and Neptune, will join Team RWBY after their normal class schedule. You will be sent a message as to where and with who later."

Penny nodded dutifully, her shoulders relaxing as she fought a small smile.

"Well, that's about all I have on the matter. Though, on a somewhat related note," his dark eyes focused on the four team members, "as both your teacher and your technical guardian while you are within these walls, I feel I would be remiss if I didn't mention this. Team RWBY," he said, stepping right in front of the team. "What you do in your personal lives is no business of mine. So long as what you do does not interfere with your studies, and breaks no laws, I take no issue with what you do." He peered over his spectacles, giving each girl a knowing look, eyes darting towards their necks. "Or with whom."

The moment his meaning registered, each member of Team RWBY gained blushes of varying intensity, Weiss' being the deepest once she saw Winter's intent stare.

"That being said," Ozpin continued, tapping at his scroll once again. "Sometimes the  _result_  of my student's personal lives becomes rather hard to ignore." He turned the scroll around, holding it out to Weiss.

After a moment of surprise, Weiss took the scroll from the headmaster's hand, aware of her teammates peering over her shoulder in curiosity. On the screen, a video was playing. From the washed-out colors and the timestamp in the corner, it looked to be from a security camera. It showed a view of Beacon's airfield, a Bullhead lazily lifting off from the ground as students milled around the grounds.

The video suddenly zoomed in on a seemingly empty piece of sky over the distant cityscape. Weiss gulped when the picture sharpened, showing a small figure decked out in white, seemingly running on air high above the buildings.

Before Weiss could react, she sucked in a startled gasp, as did her team around her. One moment, the small figure was running on air. The next, it was gone. A streak of white shot off into the distance, flecks of white dancing in the breeze behind it.

"Weiss…" Ruby breathed, her jaw slack. "You…"

As one, the team looked back up at Ozpin. With merely a raised eyebrow, the headmaster gently took the scroll back. "I won't pry," he assured, his lips pulled into a kind but firm smile. "But I will ask you all to remember that this school and its faculty are at your disposal, should you require assistance regarding training or the like. You merely need to ask."

When it became apparent from her reddened face that Weiss wouldn't, or rather, couldn't reply, Ruby shakily said, "T-thank you, sir. We'll keep that in mind."

"Very good," Ozpin said, walking back to his desk. Winter eyed his scroll as he passed it back to Goodwitch, curiosity burning in her gaze. Facing the group as a whole, Ozpin said, "Now, before I dismiss you all, does anyone have anything else to say?"

"There is one thing, actually," Goodwitch said, drawing all eyes to her. "Ms. Xiao-Long?"

Yang tensed slightly, expecting the worst. "Yes?"

Goodwitch tapped at her scroll. "We received a message from the authorities sorting out the wreckage from last night's events. One of the vehicles was registered in your name. A black and yellow motorcycle?"

Yang perked up in an instant. "You found Bumblebee? Awesome! Where is it?"

"Impounded. I have the location, but… there is an issue."

Yang frowned. "What is it?"

In answer, Goodwitch flipped her scroll around, showing an image of Bumblebee.

Or rather… what was left of it.

Yang's mouth fell open at the mangled remains of her beloved motorcycle. Sun hissed, muttering, "Damn, that just hurts to look at."

Seeing Yang's distress, Goodwich asked, "I don't suppose you have insurance?"

Yang could only hang her head. "My bike…" she whimpered pitifully. Blake patted her on the back in sympathy.

Ozpin shook his head slightly at the display, before asking, "Anyone else?" After a few silent seconds ticked by, Ozpin smiled. "Then I believe we are done here. Ladies, gentlemen, you are dismissed. Expect a message detailing your detentions by tomorrow morning."

The group of teens relaxed as one, quickly making their way to the elevator, Blake having to pull Yang by the arm as the blonde continued mourning her fallen comrade. Before they could get on, however, Ozpin said, "Penny? A moment before you leave, please."

Penny paused mid-step, looking back to see Ozpin and Ironwood watching her expectantly. From the corner of her eye, she could see RWBY, along with the rest of the teens, eyeing her in concern. Penny gave them a reassuring smile, nodding to Ruby. "I'll see you all later then, friends."

Ruby frowned at first, eyes flicking towards the headmasters, but she managed to return Penny's smile. "See you soon, Penny." The others gave similar farewells, Yang giving her a small shoulder punch as she passed her. Sun even surprised Penny by grinning brightly, saying that he wanted to spar sometime.

As Penny turned to face the headmasters, the other six piled into the elevator, just barely managing to fit them all. As the doors started to slide shut, however, a pale hand held them in place.

"Weiss," Winter said, her tone icy. "I'd like to speak to you. Meet me at the airfield in a half-hour's time."

Weiss faltered under her sister's sharp blue eyes. It was only the sudden burst of  _Confidence_  from Yang that kept her standing straight, keeping the quiver from her voice. "I'll meet you there."

Winter nodded sharply, stepping back to let the elevator close. "Good. We have much to discuss."

Once they were descending, Yang couldn't help but comment, "Okay, I take it back about her being cool. She's downright frigid."

Some part of Weiss knew she should be angry, either at the insult to her sister or just to Yang's bad pun. As it was, she could only shake her head. "Actually, she's being a lot nicer than I thought she'd be."

"Really?" Yang questioned. She let out a low whistle. "Then I'd hate to see her mad."

A few seconds passed, the air filled with cheesy elevator music.

"So," Sun said, breaking the silence. "We're not arrested, and we're not expelled. What now?"

Blake let out a deep sigh, crossing her arms. "I don't know. We didn't get much from Torchwick, and now that Ironwood's 'keeping an eye' on me…"

Yang chuckled humorlessly. "No tracking down more leads. Not for a while, at least."

"We still have the information I got from the SDC," Weiss said. "We could start sifting through that, once we get new scrolls. Maybe there's something useful there."

Ruby nodded sullenly. "Sounds like a plan. Not much else I can do at the moment." She frowned down at her crutches. She could already feel a tingling in her legs, unrelated to her aura healing. She wanted to  _move._

"It's just for a couple days, Rubes." Yang gently tousled Ruby's hair, making the crippled speedster grumble to herself.

The elevator dinged, and Sun was already moving before the doors fully opened. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm hungry. I heard about this neat ramen stand downtown. Anyone wanna come wi- _gah!_ "

"No," Neptune said firmly, pulling Sun to a stop by his tail. Not hard enough to cause pain, but enough to make Sun nearly fall over. When Sun turned around, looking betrayed, Neptune finished, "First, we are going to call Sage and Scarlet, and  _you_  are going to explain to them how we managed to get detention, at a completely different school, not even a day after you came back from suspension!"

Sun groaned, but a stern look from Neptune silenced him. " _Fine._  See you girls later, then." Sun trudged sullenly after Neptune, the two bickering with each other as they moved down the hall.

Yang and Ruby laughed as they watched the boys disappear around the corner, Blake and Weiss sporting amused smiles. Once the moment passed, Weiss' shoulders slumped. "I guess I'll get ready to meet Winter."

"Do you want one of us to come with you?" Ruby asked.

Weiss smiled at her but shook her head. "It's probably best I go alone. Talking with Winter is…  _difficult_ , if you're not used to her."

"If you're sure," Blake said, concerned. "I'm going to head to the library and see if I overlooked anything there about Mating. Hopefully, I can find something to help us with our… Affinity."

Yang grinned a little at her hesitation. "Kind of freaky, isn't it?"

Blake chuckled lowly. "To say the least."

Before she could walk away, Weiss blinked. "Oh, Blake!" Blake turned to her in question. "I just remembered! I bumped into Velvet yesterday. She said she wanted to ask you something."

Blake nodded. "Okay, I'll see if I can find her later."

After a quick hug and peck on the cheek (which Yang quickly turned into a full-on kiss, much to Weiss' embarrassment), Ruby and Yang watched their girlfriends go. Once gone, Yang smiled down at her little sister. "Guess it's just you and me then, Sis. Got any plans? 'Cause otherwise, I need to see if I can salvage Bumblebee." She scowled at the ground, crossing her arms. "Like, at all."

"Actually, there is something I want to do," Ruby said slowly. "I had an idea after seeing that security footage."

Yang perked up instantly. "You mean Weiss blasting off into the distance?"

Ruby nodded. "Yeah. I want to try something. Though, first, I want to stop by our room." She looked down at herself, still dressed in her Pj's.

Yang lifted her head as they started towards their dorm. "Okay. What exactly do you want to do?"

"Well," Ruby grunted, her crutches clanking with every step. "Remember when we were little, and you'd carry me around piggyback?"

Yang blinked. Slowly, a large grin spread across her face. "Yeah?"

"Something like that," Ruby said, an excited gleam in her eye. "But faster."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betaed by Ril_Locke [(Covert Weapon)](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/926755/Covert-Weapon)  
> [LiLaL'S TV Tropes Page](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/LinkedInLifeAndLove)  
> [Cross-posted on FF.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11689623/1/Linked-in-Life-and-Love)


	4. Sisters, Sisters

 

**Beacon's Airfield**

"Well, it was quite simple, really. We all had a mutual attraction for each other… um, except Yang and Ruby, of course… so… once we realized that, we… ugh, no, that won't work."

Weiss massaged her forehead as she paced back and forth in front of the airfield's stone fence, mindful of anyone being close enough to hear her mutterings. She'd been waiting for fifteen minutes so far, and she'd taken every second to think of how she was going to explain… well,  _everything_ , to Winter.

It wasn't going well.

"You see, it took us all by surprise. I was hesitant at first, naturally, but, after speaking with them, I… oh,  _Dust dammit!_ "

Weiss scoffed to herself. "Maybe I should just act like Yang and be blunt as a hammer." Jokingly, she scowled at nothing and gestured around wildly, deepening her voice in a mockery of Yang's tone. "Winter, I love Ruby, Blake, and Yang, and that's all there is to it. I don't care what you or Father or the board thinks. They make me happy, I'm going to stay with them, and damn the consequences!" Her fake speech over, Weiss let her arms fall, chuckling to herself. "As if…"

"I'd buy it."

"GAH!" Weiss spun around and looked up, one hand covering her thudding heart, the other going from Myrtenaster. She relaxed instantly when she saw who'd snuck up on her, letting out a relieved sigh. "Blake…"

Blake smiled from her perch on the fence, sitting daintily with one leg over the other. "Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's okay," Weiss said, feeling her heartbeat slow. She frowned in confusion. "I thought you were going to the library?"

"The librarian said I'd already looked at all the books on Mating that Beacon has to offer. I thought I'd browse around Vale for a bit, check the bookstores." Blake leapt down to the ground, barely making a sound. "I saw you pacing around, and felt your frustration." She frowned. "You're really  _that_  nervous about speaking with your sister?"

Weiss let out a huff. "Is it that obvious?"

Blake merely raised an eyebrow. She tapped the side of her head, a small smile on her lips.

Weiss rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Of course," she muttered in faux-annoyance. She shared a smile with Blake, before letting her face fall. She huffed. "I didn't expect Winter to find all that out at once. Last time we spoke, I was the perfect little heiress, deluded into thinking I'd be the number one student and a Team Leader by sheer virtue of being me. Now…" She let out a laugh of disbelief. "I'm not Team Leader. I struggle to keep up with Ren and Pyrrha in classes. My entire viewpoint on Faunus and our company has been upended. And I'm in love with a cat Faunus, a hot-headed bruiser, and a hyperactive sugar addict. Not to mention all the reckless rule-breaking we did last night." She paused for a moment, realizing how her words might sound. A glance at Blake's amused smirk relieved her, but also drained her of her fire. She shrugged uselessly. "I just… where do I even  _begin_  to make her understand?"

Blake took a moment to look Weiss over, from the slump in her shoulders to the helplessness in her eyes. She smiled softly. "Well, first things first, take a breath." When Weiss' face pinched in confusion, Blake reached out to brush a stray hair back behind her ear. "If you keep worrying like this, you're going to make this talk going bad a self-fulfilling prophecy."

Weiss huffed but leaned into Blake's touch a little. "You're one to talk."

Blake grinned, though her expression seemed strained. "Exactly. And I didn't speak to my parents for almost a year…" She looked down, her smile slipping."...for nothing."

Weiss' eyes widened a little, filling with sympathy. "Blake…"

Blake silenced her with a small shake of her head, her smile quickly coming back. "Just… don't get all worked up over the what-ifs."

Weiss stared at her for a moment, then let out a sigh. "Easier said than done."

Blake's smile widened a little, her cat ears flicking in the breeze. "Believe me, I know."

Weiss rolled her eyes again, though she couldn't stop a grin of her own from forming. "Oh, just get going before Winter shows up. Isn't there a bookstore calling your name right now?"

Blake laughed a little. Then, to Weiss' surprise, she leaned forward, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek. "Let us know how it goes," she whispered softly into Weiss' ear. "Okay?"

Weiss froze, and for a brief moment, she felt the urge to do something that… well, that Yang or Ruby would have no hesitation doing. Almost as if she could hear said sisters cheering her on, Weiss acted on her impulse.

Blake jumped slightly when she felt Weiss' lips on her own but quickly relaxed into the kiss, her eyes sliding shut as her ears drooped in contentment.

The moment lasted for a few seconds before they both reluctantly pulled away. Her cheeks tinted pink, Weiss smiled bashfully. "I-I will," she breathed quietly, answering Blake's question.

Blake smiled widely. "Okay. Good luck with your sister." She gave Weiss' shoulder a quick squeeze, then started towards a Bullhead on the far side of the airfield. "And remember to breathe."

"Right," Weiss said, watching the cat Faunus walk away. "Breathe." As Blake moved out of earshot, Weiss shook her head, letting out a humorous scoff as she willed the heat away from her face. "We have a moment like  _that_  and she tells me to breathe." She smiled gently as she watched Blake speak with the Bullhead pilot.

"Well, I suppose that's one question answered."

At the sound of the cool voice, Weiss' eyes shot wide, her head snapping around so fast it hurt. Winter was standing just behind her, looking over her shoulder towards Blake. Her lips were pressed into a firm line.

"Winter!" Weiss shouted in shock. "You…" Ice filled her veins as she followed Winter's line of sight, seeing Blake get onto the Bullhead before it lifted off. She looked back at Winter, her face pale. "Did… did you see…?"

"The rather intimate moment you just had with Miss Belladonna in this  _very_  public location?" Winter raised a curved brow over unreadable eyes. "Yes. Yes, I did."

Heat rushed back to Weiss' cheeks, a look of fear on her face. Her head snapped around wildly, looking for anyone nearby staring at her. To her relief, none of the students in the area were looking her way, though with how long she and Blake had been standing around, that might not mean anything.

"I...I…" Weiss stammered, looking back up at her sister.

Winter merely stared down at her, eyebrow still raised. With a deep sigh, she started walking away, towards the opposite end of the airfield. "Come along, Weiss."

Weiss blinked, startled by Winter's lack of reaction. "Wha… what…?"

Winter glanced back at her. "I've made a lunch appointment for us at the Crystal Aurora. We can have our…  _discussion_  there." Without another word, she continued towards a stationary Bullhead, the pilot of the craft jumping to work when he noticed her coming near.

Weiss watched her go. She sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping.  _This is going to be a disaster,_  she thought as she fell into step with her sister.

_Calm. Confidence._

Weiss paused, feeling the cool emotions spread through her. A smile formed on her lips.  _Well,_  she thought as she stepped into the Bullhead.  _At least I'm not facing it alone._

* * *

**Beacon Academy, Entrance to The Emerald Forest**

On the backside of Beacon, where the pavement ended, a large chain link fence stretched out, covering the distance around the school's border. Steel poles were posted every thirty yards or so, security cameras panning back and forth across the tree line just past the fence, on the lookout for any Grimm that may wander too close to the school. A wide dirt path winded from the school to the fence, towards a large open gate plastered with warning signs.

This was the sight that met Yang and Ruby as the blonde walked up the path, Ruby hanging comfortably off her back. "Well," Yang said, taking in the fence. "We're here."

Ruby stared into the unassuming woods, feeling nervous for the first time since they left the dorm. While students were technically allowed into the Emerald Forest for independent training, it was usually advised for the younger students to be escorted by a teacher or a team of upperclassmen, lest they encounter some of the forest's more irritable Grimm deeper in.

Ruby swallowed at the thought. Clinging a little tighter to Yang's neck, she asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Yang, picking up on Ruby's sudden  _Hesitance_  and  _Worry_ , looked over her shoulder with a reassuring grin. "No backing out now, Ruby. I'm looking forward to this."

Ruby frowned slightly. "If you're sure."

"Rubes, come on! This was your idea!"

"I know!" Ruby said, pouting. "I'm just… I'm starting to remember what I went through when we were first figuring out my Semblance…"

"And I was there for all of it," Yang finished. She leaned her head to the side, bumping it softly against Ruby's. "Remember? If anyone has a shot at learning your Semblance, it's me." She smirked. "Relax, Ruby. We'll be fine.  _I'll_  be fine."

Ruby was quiet for a moment, then propped her chin up on Yang's shoulder. "Okay," she replied, a slight smile on her lips. "Say the rules back to me."

Yang rolled her eyes, convinced Ruby was enjoying this odd role reversal. "Listen to my heartbeat, alternate between looking at the ground and up ahead, remember to breathe." She smirked again. "Same as they were when  _I_  made  _you_  keep repeating them. Now, did you remember the goods?"

Ruby's smile grew, patting the white duffle bag she'd borrowed from Weiss's luggage. "All set." She took a deep breath. "Whenever you're ready."

Yang's grin turned slightly manic. She hunched slightly, her legs tensing as she gripped Ruby's legs against her sides. She looked out into the seemingly tranquil forest, then closed her eyes.

The world turned silent, the only sounds being that of the birds chirping and the distant roar of the bustling school. Ruby waited as the seconds ticked by, more than a little curious about how this would end. Softly, just as they'd agreed on at the dorm, she pressed her fingers against the side of Yang's neck. She could feel Yang's heartbeat beneath her touch, strong and calm.

Ten seconds passed, and Ruby was wondering if she should maybe say something. Then, to her shock, she felt it. Just beneath Yang's skin, she could feel a slight buzz, like her whole form was trembling. As the trembling grew stronger, Yang's heartbeat sped up, slowly at first, but soon it was hammering away, faster and faster, far beyond where a normal person's should go. Yet, Yang's face betrayed nothing, remaining perfectly calm.

Ruby's eyes widened in childlike wonder, a smile cemented on her face. She tightened her grip. Very quietly, she whispered in Yang's ear. "Yang…"

Yang's lavender eyes opened. Shining with unbound energy.

" _Run._ "

Had anyone been watching the sisters, all they would have seen would have been Yang's whole body shift forward slightly, then completely vanish. A streak of yellow light blasted into the Emerald Forest, leaving in its wake only a cloud of dust, leaves, yellow rose petals, and the triumphant shout of two ecstatic sisters.

* * *

**The Crystal Aurora, Vale's City Center**

Weiss smiled into her drink, the pure  _Joy_  and  _Excitement_  bursting from whatever Ruby and Yang were up to doing a perfect job of offsetting the awkward air between her and Winter.

She had to admit, Winter had done well choosing the Crystal Aurora for their meal. The upscale restaurant carried a vast variety of dishes from all over the globe, each described on the menu with a colorful little description. Surprisingly, there were even one or two dishes claiming to be from Menagerie, rather shocking given that the pristine business didn't seem the sort of place to include food of Faunus origin. She made a mental note to ask Blake about it later, thinking of treating her girlfriends to a meal later on.

Of course, Weiss had a feeling Winter hadn't chosen the restaurant for the food. It was far more likely she'd chosen it for the VIP terrace on the restaurant's top floor, which, in addition to giving a picturesque view of Vale's skyline, also placed them far away from any prying eyes or ears.

Looking across the table, Weiss felt her brief bout of relaxation fade as she met Winter's eyes. Her sister stared back, her face blank. Her glass of white wine sat untouched beside her folded hands, her index finger tapping against the back of her other hand in a steady rhythm.

It had been like that since they'd gotten on the Bullhead to Vale awkward and intense. Winter hadn't spoken a word throughout the trip, cutting Weiss' few attempts at small talk with a piercing look. The message was clear. Not here. So Weiss took the time to gather her thoughts… or at least, try not to suffocate under a growing mountain of anxiety.

Hoping to break the silence, Weiss went to speak, only to close her mouth immediately. She had no idea what to say. So much had happened in so little time. Where to start?

The quiet was instead broken by Winter's resigned sigh.

"Well, Weiss…"

A cold feeling seeped into Weiss' stomach. Winter's lips pursed into a faint frown, her brow furrowing slightly. "You've had a rather…  _interesting_  first semester."

Weiss' cheeks pinked a bit. "I suppose…" she muttered.

Winter raised an unimpressed brow. "You don't consider theft of information and vigilantism 'interesting'?"

Weiss winced. "Winter… I can explain…"

"And I expect you to," Winter said, her voice full of authority. Her frown deepened. "Weiss, this is… beyond anything I was expecting. I barely recognize you."

Of all the things Weiss thought Winter would say, she hadn't expected something like that. A look of hurt flashed across her face. "R-really? I didn't think I'd changed that much."

Winter's brow raised further as she let out a sharp breath, sounding suspiciously like a scoff. "Weiss…" She cut herself off, taking a deep breath. She closed her eyes. When she opened them, they seemed less harsh than before. To her surprise, Weiss thought Winter looked almost… concerned. Looking right into Weiss' eyes, Winter propped her elbows on the table, resting her chin on her laced fingers.

"Help me understand," she said, a hint of confusion bleeding through her calm voice. "When I last spoke with you, you acted brash, spoiled, and had a superiority complex that almost rivaled our father."

Weiss felt like she'd been slapped. She'd always known Winter to be straightforward, but she'd never heard her sister be  _that_  blunt before. To compare her to their  _father_ …

Yet, she couldn't deny her. What little indignation she felt fizzled out as memories of what her first months at Beacon were like; berating Ruby's immaturity, snidely questioning Yang's intelligence, the…  _everything_  with Blake being a Faunus.

Weiss dipped her head, her shoulders sagging. The more she thought about it, the less deserving she felt about all her girlfriends had given her.

Winter noticed Weiss' inner turmoil, her face softening slightly. "Now, I know most of that was an act." When Weiss looked up in surprise, Winter's lips curled in sympathy. "Being around Father, you have to think and act a certain way. I know how hard it is to break from that mindset."

Weiss blinked, her lips curving into a hesitant, hopeful smile.

Winter allowed herself to smile back for a moment before her lips returned to a serious line. "But this goes beyond that. Weiss…" For the first time in Weiss's memory, Winter struggled to find her words. "How do you go from  _that_ … to be in a four-way relationship with both a Faunus and a pair of sisters?"

Weiss' cheeks tinted horribly, her heart skipping a brief beat. Ruby had already told her Winter knew of their relationship, yes, but still, having Winter bluntly state it was a shock to the system. "It's, um…" She floundered for a response. Averting her eyes, all she could say was, "It's a long story."

Winter was unimpressed. "That much goes unstated. Regardless, I want to  _hear_  this long story. I want to know your reasoning. I-" She paused, her lips forming a frown as she leaned back slightly.

"You… what?" Weiss asked, forcing the heat from her face.

Winter looked away for a moment. When she looked back, Weiss was shocked by the confusion in her eyes.

"Why are you risking yourself like this?"

Weiss was taken aback. "What… what do you mean?"

Winter sighed, leveling Weiss with a frustrated stare. "Weiss, much as you likely wish differently, you are not a normal teenage girl. You are the heiress to the SDC. The eyes of the whole world are on you, and Father is waiting for something,  _anything_  he can use to claim that you coming to Beacon was a mistake." Weiss' fearful wince made it clear that she was well aware of this, but that just fueled Winter further. "And yet… stealing from the company." She started ticking each item off with a raised finger. "Spying on the White Fang.  _Fighting_  the White Fang. That's not even mentioning your  _relationship._ " She stressed the word, her tone layered with equal parts disbelief and bafflement.

Weiss cringed under her sister's words. "I-I know it's a risk…"

For the first time, a spark of anger entered Winter's eyes. "This is beyond 'risk'. Weiss… what do you think Father is going to do when he finds out?"

"...pull me from school?" Weiss offered, her voice full of fear and resignation.

Winter scoffed, shaking her head. "You'll be lucky if that's all he does." She let out a deep breath, calming a bit. "Weiss… I don't need to tell you this, you already know what's at stake. So why? Why these girls? How did this even happen?"

Weiss looked down at the table, wringing her hands nervously. The thought of her father knowing about her, about Blake, Ruby, Yang, the entire Mating affair, brought every fear, both irrational and otherwise, to the forefront of her mind. All the ways it could go wrong, all the things her father could do, not just to her, but to her team. A man with as much pull as him…

_Calm._

She let out a startled breath, dimly aware at Winter raising an eyebrow at her. She felt the cool emotions flow through her, tinged with warmth and electricity.

_Calm. Relax. Confidence. Kindness. Humor._

Winter's presence was the only thing that kept Weiss from snorting at the last one. She could just imagine Yang trying to lighten the mood with some horrendous pun, and succeeding for all the wrong reasons. She could see Ruby giggling slightly, trying to act like she  _didn't_ find the bad joke funny, Blake rolling her eyes with a fond smile on her lips. Feeling some of her tension ease, Weiss smiled to herself.

" _ **Don't get all worked up over the what-ifs."**_

 _You're right, Blake,_  Weiss thought, hoping Blake would pick up on her gratitude.  _Worrying won't help me. I need to focus on right now. The rest can come later._

Weiss' Mark felt odd for a moment, a split-second of numbness. Then she felt something different, at three specific points on her neck. Cool. Warm. Tingling.

_And I won't face it alone._

Focusing back at the task at hand, oblivious to the hard stare Winter was now giving her Mark, Weiss thought over her sister's questions. Her lips curved.

"They see me."

Winter broke her gaze on Weiss's glowing Mark, her brow furrowed. "What?"

Her hands going still, Weiss said, "They see me for who I am… not  _what_  I am." She finally looked up from the table, a hard edge in her eyes that offset her small smile. "I'm not the Schnee heiress to them. I'm not my father's daughter, I'm not just some…  _extension_  of him. And… now that we're… like this…" She put a hand to her neck, her fingers trailing over the shapes of her Mark. "I don't have to  _try_. I don't have to… to  _think_  all the time. No second-guessing, no…  _worrying_  about upsetting or angering them because I said the wrong thing at the wrong time."

As Weiss spoke, her voice growing stronger, Winter's face slowly relaxed, he icy glare fading to a look of surprise.

Weiss took a shaky breath, her eyes stinging as she went on. "I'm not a Schnee to them. They don't care about money or reputation, or even their own safety, I think. To them, I'm just… Weiss. And… that's enough."

Winter's expression turned thoughtful, a touch concerned. "You truly do like these girls."

Weiss nodded. "More than anything."

Winter frowned. Conflicting emotions flicked across her face, ranging from impressment to exasperation. "How?" she asked, rubbing at her temple. "Just a few months ago, I know you shared our father's opinion on Faunus. How could you go from that to…  _this_?"

As Winter waved vaguely in Weiss' direction, the younger Schnee paused. Winter asked a valid question, and it was one Weiss could answer. The problem was, the answer didn't just involve herself, but her Mates as well. And even without that, telling Winter how they all got together also meant telling her…

The heat started pooling in Weiss' cheeks again.

"Um…" she said, averting her gaze. "It's… kind of awkward to talk about."

Seeing her sister's change in mood, Winter crossed her arms. "Weiss, there has yet to be a single part of this conversation that  _hasn't_  been awkward in some way."

Weiss slumped in her seat. She breathed deeply in and out, weighing her options.  _Winter has always valued honesty, but… oh, I don't want to tell her this!_  She huffed to herself.  _Though, I can't really use the others as an excuse. They've been saying how open they want this relationship to be. Though, Blake might… no, she_ will _be mortified if I tell Winter._

"Weiss?"

Weiss looked back up, meeting Winter's expectant eyes. She hesitated.

"...can you promise me something?"

Winter raised a brow at Weiss timid question. "That depends…"

Weiss swallowed nervously. "If… If I tell you how we all got together… can you promise to keep an open mind? And… not to judge us? Any of us?"

Winter's eyes widened a little. "That depends on what you say happened," she said after a moment. "But I can promise to keep an open mind. I must tell you though, Weiss, the fact you must ask does not give me much reassurance."

Weiss grimaced. That was about as good as she would get from Winter. "I know," she said. "It's just… I don't regret anything, but… talking about it is… embarrassing."

Winter leaned back slightly, already wary of Weiss' tale. "How embarrassing?"

Weiss sighed, already dreading the fallout of her next sentence.  _Sorry, Blake…_

"...how much do you know about Faunus heat cycles?"

…

For a full ten seconds, Winter just stared. She blinked, rapidly. Then, with obvious effort, she slowly reached for her glass of wine, placing it right in front of her. "Go on," she said, her tone making it clear how much she regretted asking.

Weiss groaned to herself. This was going to be awkward beyond belief.

* * *

**The Emerald Forest**

_Thump, thump, thump, thump…_

The world flew by. The trees blew past, their features blurring together, an endless stream of browns, reds, and oranges, everything tinted with faint yellow light. Her legs pounded against the ground, aching, burning,  _alive_!

_Thump, thump, thump, thump…_

Every second, she went faster, the wind beating around her, her hair billowing behind her. It was amazing.

"... _ng!_ "

The path suddenly ended into a wall of trees. Her feet left the ground. The world turned sideways, and there was the creak of protesting wood. Her feet touched earth, and the world dissolved to colors again.

"... _ow down! You're going to…_ "

She could feel it, just beneath her skin. There was more speed, raging to be released. She could go faster.

"... _ok out!..._ "

Something up ahead, in her way. Two things, side by side. She didn't care, blasting right between them. Red, brown, bronze. Someone yelled in shock. She pushed on.

" _...sorry, Jaune! Yang, you_ …"

Faster. Faster!

"... _opped breathing! Please, just…_ "

There was no limit. She could run forever.

"... _ke up before..._ "

Anywhere. Everywhere! She could…

" _ **BREATHE!"**_

Yang gasped, the shrill scream piercing through the haze. The moment the air hit her lungs, everything stopped. Her legs locked up, and she came to a sudden halt, yellow rose petals blasting past her in the wind, dancing like snowflakes.

"Yang?" She could just barely hear a voice over the hammering of her own heart, arms gripping her tightly around the neck. Yang didn't respond, only able to gasp desperately for air. Her whole body shook.

"Yang?" the voice asked again, worried. "Are yo- whoa!"

Without warning, Yang's legs gave out. She fell forward, barely catching herself as she slammed to her knees. She sucked air quickly and deeply, her chest protesting with every breath. Her heart pounded against her ribs frantically.

She dimly felt a weight slide off her back. Small hands cupped her cheeks, blurry pools of silver appearing right in front of her.

"Yang. Yang, breathe slower." That voice again, sounding worried, even scared, yet trying to be soothing. "C'mon, lie down, okay? Just lie down."

Yang had no choice but to do as the voice asked. All it took was a light prod to her shoulder, and her arms gave out. She collapsed limply. Everything hurt.

Small, strong hands gripped her shoulders, rolling her onto her back. She stared up at the blue sky, covered by the red and yellow branches above her. Her breath came out in deep, ragged heaves.

She heard someone running near her. "Ruby!" someone called out, another female voice. "What the heck was… oh no, what's wrong with Yang?"

"Just a second Pyrrha," the first voice said. Someone leaned over her, blocking out the view of the sky. "Yang, can you hear me? Here, this will help."

Something was dropped into her mouth, and she had just enough of her faculties not to suck it in with her next gasp of air. She tasted something overly sweet on her tongue, rich and creamy. Chocolate.

"Um, how exactly is a candy bar going to help?" a third voice asked, this one male.

"It's a long story. Yang? Hey, are you feeling better?"

Once, the candy had melted in her mouth, Yang blinked rapidly. Her vision sharpened a bit, just enough to make out the person leaning over her. Still breathing heavily, she grinned. "Heeey, Rubes," she droned tiredly. "No… offense, but… your Semblance…  _suuuucks…_ "

Ruby blinked at her, then let out a relieved chuckle. "Yeah, I know the feeling. Are you okay?"

"Well…" Yang tried to pull herself up but found she could barely lift her head. She huffed, frustrated. "I can't move." She groaned when a sharp twinge drifted up from her legs. "And everything hurts." Despite the pain, she shot a look at Ruby, suddenly suspicious. "Is this what it always feels like… when you push yourself too hard?"

Ruby winced, her eyes darting guiltily. "Um… maybe?"

Yang's eyes narrowed, filing that tidbit away for later. Taking a calming breath, finally feeling her heartbeat start to slow, she looked back up at the sky. "What did I do wrong?"

Ruby frowned, reaching into the duffle bag on her shoulder. "You let the speed get to your head." She pulled out a bottle of water and a straw. "You ran for fifteen minutes straight. Then… you stopped breathing."

Yang stared at the sky, breathing deeply. "This is gonna be harder than we thought."

Ruby nodded grimly. "Yep."

She put the straw to Yang's lips, and the blonde sucked down the water greedily, the ache in her throat lessening a bit. Once she drained the bottle, Yang finally looked to her other side, seeing the pair of partners standing awkwardly away from them. "Where did you two come from?"

Jaune and Pyrrha shared a quick glance. "We were out for team training," Pyrrha said. "You ran right between us."

"Uh, speaking of which," Jaune piped up, looking between the sisters in confusion. "How the heck did  _you_  run between us? I thought Ruby was the only one with superspeed?"

Ruby and Yang looked at each other. Ruby shrugged, and Yang would have too, had she been able to move. Ruby looked back up at them. "It's… hard to explain. We can tell you, but… could you give us a hand back to the school while we do? Yang can't move, and I lost my crutches."

Confused, Pyrrha and Jaune looked down at Ruby, their eyes widening when they noticed her braced leg for the first time. Yang gave Ruby a startled look. "You lost them? When, where?"

With a slightly flat look, Ruby jerked her thumb back down the dirt path. "About a mile that way, around turn nine." Yang blinked, following her gaze. "Oh. Whoops."

Bemused by the whole situation, Jaune just shook his head. "Yeah, we can help you out. Let me call Ren and Nora first, though. We'll need their help, and I'm not sure how far they-"

" _Hey Jaune, Pyrrha! Either of you see a big yellow meteor shoot through the forest?"_

Jaune turned towards the shout, surprised. "Or, they could just find us." Raising his voice, he shouted into the underbrush. "Yeah, we're over here!"

A few seconds later, Nora's head of orange hair poked out from behind a bush. Seeing the group, she ran over, Ren following behind her at a slower pace. "There you guys are! When did Ruby and Yang show up? They follow the meteor too?"

Ren let out a small sigh. "Nora, I told you, it couldn't be a meteor, it-" He stopped talking when Nora shot him a pouting glare, just rolling his eyes instead.

Jaune let out a nervous chuckle, hoping Nora wasn't about to start something. "Ruby and Yang were just about to tell us about the… ' _meteor_ '. We just have to help them back to the school."

Nora tilted her head, her brow furrowing. 'Help them? Are you guys hurt or some… thing…?" As Nora turned to look at the sisters, her voice trailed off, her eyes bugging out.

Pyrrha had just pulled Ruby to her feet, looping her arm under Ruby's as the younger girl leaned into her. Ruby winced slightly as she lifted her left leg, trying to keep the heavy brace from dragging on the ground.

Ren curved a brow at Ruby's broken leg. He turned slowly to Nora, frowning.

Seeing his look, Nora threw her hands up in defense.

"I didn't do it!"


	5. Forging Bonds, New and Old

 

**Downtown Vale, The Book Ends**

Among the hustle and bustle of Vale's more popular streets lay a quaint little bookstore. The Book Ends, as its oh-so-clever owner had named it, sat in a rare part of the city that both had a high concentration of Faunus and was rather maintained. It was this fact that drew the attention of one certain cat Faunus, hoping that given the Faunus-centric location, she might find information there that she couldn't elsewhere.

Blake sat at the back of the store, at a table hidden behind the expansive bookshelves. She had one tome open, her amber eyes scanning the pages for any mention of Affinities. She suddenly scowled at the book, closing it with a disgusted huff.

 _Nothing,_  she thought dejectedly, setting the book onto her increasing reject pile. She slumped in her chair, staring up at the dusty ceiling.  _Not one of these has anything I don't already know. At this rate, we may just have to figure it out as we go._

She heard someone clear their throat behind her. She straightened up quickly, finding the store owner, an elderly fox Faunus, staring intently at her over his horn-rimmed glasses. "Not finding what you're looking for, young lady?"

With an apologetic grin, Blake said, "No, unfortunately. Are you sure these are the only books you have on Faunus Mating?"

The man nodded, his grey tail swiping slowly across the floor as he gathered the discarded books. "I'm afraid so." He then gave her a sly grin. "Unless you want to check the romance section?"

Blake blushed at the mere mention. She was well aware of the rather…  _vivid_  embellishments some authors would create for the sake of writing a story. "Um, no thank you," she muttered quickly, unable to meet the old man's laughing eyes. "I'm sorry to have wasted your time."

The old man just chuckled as he walked from shelf to shelf, putting each book back in its proper place. "Don't apologize, my dear. The fault is mine for not having as expansive a selection as I should. I'm no Tukson, I'm afraid."

Blake frowned at the mention of the missing bookstore owner. The man's shop had been found abandoned weeks ago, and no one had heard a word about him since. "Whatever happened to him?" Blake couldn't help asking.

The old man shrugged, using his tail to place a book on a high shelf. "Couldn't tell you. I think he mentioned moving to Vacuo once or twice, though. Strange that he would just up and leave his shop like that, but then, we live in strange times."

Blake didn't quite buy that, but she didn't feel the need to argue either. "Well, thank you for putting up with me, sir," she said with a polite nod.

"It's no problem, miss. Again, I'm sorry I didn't have what you were looking for." He let out a weary sigh as he walked back to the front of the store. "I'm afraid that texts on our culture are hard to come by outside of Menagerie." He barked out a raspy laugh, eyes twinkling with mirth. "Maybe you should make the trip come next break! Find the book you're looking for and read it on the island shores."

Blake laughed at that, making her way to the door. "Sounds like paradise. Thanks again!" She waved goodbye as she stepped out onto the street. Once she was a few paces away from the store, she groaned, her cat ears dipping.

 _Another dead end. Maybe he's right, and Menagerie is the only place to learn about Affinities._  She sighed dejectedly, having to sidestep through the crowded sidewalk. She didn't know what to do now. Any hope of learning about their Affinity, or anything else about Mating, was out of reach, half a world away.

Once again, she cursed her lack of knowledge. She cursed herself, she cursed Adam, she cursed the universe itself for keeping her away from her family for three years. According to her mother, she should have already learned all this from her parents, but instead she…

Blake came to a slow stop in the middle of the sidewalk, her face going slack in realization.

_My parents. I-I could just call my mother._

It was a simple thought, one that she'd had all year long, but now… she could do it. There was no more need for White Fang secrecy, no fear of her mother's reaction, no self-imposed restriction. She could just… call home.

Blake's face lit up with unrepressed excitement, her cat ears twitching eagerly. Her first instinct was to go for her scroll, only to quickly remember that it was now a smoldering paperweight thanks to Torchwick. Unwilling to let her rare bout of enthusiasm fade so soon, Blake ran as quick as she could to the nearest information kiosk, standing at the street corner with a small crowd of people surrounding it. Blake only needed a glance of the local map, finding the right symbol, before she was off.

Two streets over and one sharp turn later, Blake found what she was looking for. The internet café was slightly outdated, unsurprising given its Faunus centric location. The windows were a bit cloudy, and she could make out some remnant of graffiti under the front window, buried under a hasty coat of uneven paint. She eyed the holographic Atlas symbol above the door with a little caution but brushed her old instincts aside as she pushed through the door.

Just like the outside, the inside of the shop showed signs of neglect. It was clean enough, pristine even, showing that the owner must have some pride in the place. But all the equipment was outdated, at least a generation behind the current standard. This didn't bother Blake, though. The older generation consoles were more than fine for a simple video call.

Scanning the room, her eyes passed over people sitting around the massive pentagonal tables, each one holding five consoles with dividing walls between them. She made a beeline for the first open console she saw, only stopping when she heard someone call her name.

"Blake?"

Blake was instantly on alert, all good thoughts vanishing. Her hand twitched towards Gambol Shroud, ready to draw. She couldn't think of any good reason why someone in this area would recognize her unless it was someone from the White Fang. If so, the likelihood of a fight was high.

Which was why she was so relieved when she saw a familiar pair of chocolate-colored rabbit ears poking over a nearby monitor, a matching pair of brown eyes meeting her amber ones.

"Velvet," Blake breathed in relief, quickly relaxing. She smiled in welcome. "Didn't expect to see you here."

Standing up from the table, Velvet smiled shyly back, picking her bag off the back of her chair. "I was just taking a break from my team to call home and check in with my mother. What are you doing here?"

"I was going to do something similar, actually." Blake felt another slight thrill at being able to call home. Then she remembered. "Oh! It's good I saw you, actually. Weiss said you had something to ask me?"

Velvet's ears perked up a little, her eyes twinkling. "Oh! Um…" She looked around the café as if seeing who all was around. She was apparently okay with the situation, merely taking a small step forward and lowering her voice. "Yes, actually. Um… well, first things first, congratulations on finding your Mates."

Blake nodded slightly, feeling an unrestrained smile worm its way onto her lips. Not many Faunus had said anything to her on her relationship, let alone congratulate her. It put a warm feeling in her chest. "Thank you," she said with a slight nod.

Velvet returned the nod. "Right. Well… that's kind of what I wanted to ask you about, though."

Blake tilted her head, perplexed. "My Mates?"

Velvet rubbed the back of her neck, averting her gaze. "I'm sorry if I'm being rude… I don't mean to be, but…" She took a deep breath, schooling her face in a semblance of calm. "I heard you talking with Jaune the other day when you stopped wearing your bow? I-I didn't mean to overhear, but… you said something I was hoping you could maybe explain?"

Blake frowned. Velvet was timid by nature, but she'd never seemed  _this_  nervous before. "Okay," she said hesitantly. "What's up?"

"Well.." Velvet looked down again, pushing her index fingers together to distract herself. "All your Mates are human… but I heard you and Jaune saying that they managed to give you a Mark anyway." She slowly met Blake's gaze, biting her lower lip. "How… H-how did they do it?"

Blake was surprised by the question but didn't show it outside of her ears perking up a bit. "Oh, that's easy. When I explained how Marking worked, and how they wouldn't be able to give me a Mark normally, Weiss did some research. She found a story about a Faunus soldier who had his jaw wired shut due to an injury. In it, he had a friend of his bite his lover in his stead, and then the soldier poured his aura into her immediately after."

Velvet's mouth dropped a little, her long ears dipping. "And… that's what you did? Have another Faunus bite you, then have your Mates give you their aura?"

Blake hummed quietly, grimacing as she brought a hand to her Mark. "Sort of. I had been in a relationship before I came to Beacon. It… ended poorly." An immense understatement, but she didn't want to put the whole "White Fang, Adam Taurus" mess onto Velvet at the moment. As it was, Velvet just gave her a sympathetic nod, sadness in her eyes. "But I still had the initial Mark he gave me. It was just empty. Weiss had the idea of them repurposing that old Mark to make a new one, using their aura."

Velvet's eyes shimmered in wonder. "That's incredible."

Blake smiled fondly at the memory. "Yeah. It was… quite something." She tilted her head a little, looking into Velvet's chocolate eyes. "Why do you ask?"

With a small shudder, Velvet seemed to shake herself out of her brief stupor. Her cheeks reddened a little once she heard the question. "Oh, I was just curious about how you did it. How hard it was and…" her voice dropped to a mere mutter, "...if someone could replicate it…"

Once she heard the quiet words, something clicked in Blake's head. She grinned. "Velvet… do you want to Mark someone?"

Velvet's ears shot up in an instant, and Blake could see the instinctual denial in Velvet's eyes. After a short moment of their eyes meeting, though, Velvet deflated. She ducked her head a little, her long bunny ears drooping as she blushed. She gave Blake a shy nod.

Blake's grin morphed into a full-fledged smile as she put a supportive hand on the rabbit Faunus' arm. "Velvet… that's great! Who?"

"...Coco," Velvet admitted, trying valiantly to keep her smile somewhat restrained. "We've been together since our first year at Beacon. I've wanted to become Mates for a while now, but…"

When she trailed off, the final piece fell into Blake's mind. "She's human."

Another small nod, Velvet's smile shrinking just a little. "It doesn't really matter to me, but if we became Mates… I've heard of Faunus-human Mating ending badly because the Faunus starts becoming dissatisfied with a limited bond. I'd like to think I wouldn't do that to her, but… I've been scared to try regardless."

Blake gave her arm a soft squeeze. "But, now?"

Velvet chewed at her lip nervously. "I'd really like to try," she admitted faintly. "But… you said I'd need another Faunus' help?"

"Yes, for Coco to make the bite."

"...could you do it?"

Blake jerked back in surprise, her ears standing up. "W-what?" she asked, her voice rising in pitch.

Velvet's ears sagged as she blushed deeply. "I'm sorry!" she backpedaled. "I-I just don't really have anyone else to ask, and you know more about this than me, but I completely understand if you don't-"

"Velvet!" Blake shouted, cutting the rambling rabbit off as she glanced around the store. Velvet's panicking was starting to draw attention from the other patrons, a tall snake Faunus behind the front counter narrowing his slitted yellow eyes at them.

Seeing this for herself, Velvet quieted instantly, her face growing even redder. "Sorry," she said meekly.

Blake let out a breathless laugh. "It's okay," she assured. "You just surprised me." She gave Velvet an appraising look. "You really want me to help you Mark Coco?"

Velvet nodded, a hopeful twinkle in her eye. "If you would…"

Despite Velvet being two years older than her, Blake found herself as helpless under those big brown eyes as she would be under Ruby's youthful silver. She soon found a wide grin on her lips. "I'd be happy to try."

Velvet's ears shot high, a look of pure joy on her face. "Oh…" She suddenly shot forward, wrapping Blake in a bone-crushing hug. "Thank you, Blake! Thank you!"

Blake wheezed as the air was squeezed out of her but still returned the hug. "You're… welcome!" she managed to rasp. Seriously, the girl could rival Yang!

Velvet quickly pulled back, her smile threatening to tear her face in half. "I'll talk to her tonight and I'll get you the details later." She then noticed a digital clock hanging on the far wall of the building, blinking as the time rolled over to the next hour. She got a panicked look on her face. "Oh, I'm supposed to meet my team at the theater soon!" After a moment's hesitation, she glomped Blake in another quick hug. "Thank  _you_!"

Blake couldn't help but grin. The sheer joy from the usually timid Faunus was infectious. "It's no problem. I'll talk to you later."

Velvet flashed her another blinding smile, before rushing out the door, dodging the whipping tail of a rat Faunus as he opened the door to enter.

Blake took a moment to appreciate what just happened. While she knew Velvet well enough to call her a friend, for her to ask Blake for help with something so personal was… surprising. But in a good way, one that left a warm feeling in Blake's chest. If Velvet trusted her that much, she'd do whatever she could to help.

...and try to ignore the fact that she had no idea if she actually  _could_  do what the Faunus in the story did.

Blake groaned quietly, feeling the beginnings of a fresh headache. She could focus and fret about all that later. First…

Blake sat down at the console Velvet had just vacated. With a few clicks and keystrokes, she brought up the video chat. An empty screen popped up, a blinking cursor waiting for her to enter a number.

Blake's fingers hovered over the keyboard. They tensed, pulling back slightly as she felt that familiar twinge of doubt. After just a second of hesitance, Blake shook her head, clearing away the wayward thought. With a deep breath, she punched in the familiar number, the one her parents had drilled into her before she left. She hit enter.

For an agonizing ten seconds, she watched the words " _ATTEMPTING CONNECTION…_ " flash across the screen. Then, the screen blinked, and Blake found familiar amber eyes mirrored back at her.

But not from who she'd been expecting.

"Who are you and how did you… Blake?"

Blake felt her stomach go cold as her whole body stiffened. "Dad?"

As soon as it had come, the confused look on Ghira's face morphed into an excited smile. "Blake! We didn't expect to hear from you again so soon!"

Every thought Blake had vanished in an instant. In truth, she had known there was a chance her father would pick up rather than her mother, but somehow it hadn't clicked that it could actually happen.

"Um…" Blake tried to find something to say, but being faced with her father so suddenly had completely blindsided her. "I… um… I… had a question that…"

Ghira's grin slipped off his face, seeing Blake tense under his gaze. "Blake, what is it? What's…" With a blink, he trailed off. Understanding flashed in his eyes. His face fell, his shoulders drooping slightly.

Seeing this, Blake felt a surge of fear. A bolt of panic shot up her spine, making her lean forward towards the screen. Thinking she was about to feel her father's wrath, she tried to explain. "Dad, I-!"

"Blake." Ghira held up a hand to stop her, saying her name like a command. Blake hushed instantly, her ears folding back against her skull. Ghira took a slow breath, then looked her right in the eyes. "Your mother told me everything."

Blake's heart thumped hollowly in her chest. She looked away from the screen as she responded. "Yeah, um… she said she would…"

"Blake, look at me."

Blake flinched, squeezing her eyes shut. With a weak sigh, she hesitantly, fearfully, turned back to the screen. She opened her eyes… only to be met with her father's concerned gaze.

"I agree with her."

Blake's ears shot up, her breath hitching. "You… you do?"

Ghira nodded solemnly. "Sweetheart, you were put into a no-win situation, and you did your best with what you had. And when the time came, you made the right choice. Believe me, Kitten, there's not many out there who can do that. There's plenty of blame to go around, but I don't put  _any_  of it on you."

Blake's mouth fell slightly, her ears slowly lowering to their regular position. "You… you're not mad?"

Ghira scoffed, his lips pulling back into a half-grin. "Sweetheart, after all, you've been through, and you're still standing tall? If anything, I'm proud of you."

Blake leaned back from the screen, sucking in a startled breath. Her vision blurred for a moment, but she blinked back the tears. Without realizing it, a smile slowly spread across her lips.

Seeing her smile, Ghira did the same. "We'll figure this all out, Blake," he promised. " _Soon_ , if I get my way. But, for the moment…" Ghira's smile widened, excitement gleaming in his eyes. "Since I've got you… I want to hear everything."

Instantly wary, Blake frowned. "About what?"

Ghira chuckled, loud and deep. "School! I want to know what life is like at one of those fancy Hunter schools. What's your favorite class? What are the teachers like? What  _friends_  have you made?"

Blake felt the heat rush to her face, not missing the emphasis her father put on the word 'friends', nor the sly look he gave her as he did so. Despite that, she also felt relief, like the knot in her stomach had finally been undone. "I don't really know where to start."

"I've got some time," Ghira assured. "Your mother's at the market right now, but she should be back soon. I'm sure she'd love to hear this, too."

Blake couldn't help but smile in disbelief. She should be asking her questions about Affinities, but… this was the first time she and her father had talked in over a year.

"Well, Beacon's not anything like I expected. The Headmaster, Professor Ozpin, can be a little odd at times…"

There'd be time for questions later. Call it selfish, but Blake had been living a life of danger and insanity for three years. Having the opportunity to do something as normal and mundane as talking with her parents about school seemed extremely appealing. And she was going to take it.

* * *

**The Crystal Aurora**

"...we only finalized things Friday night. Then… you know about yesterday."

Weiss fell silent, her face burning. Across from her, though her expression was as stoic as ever, Winter sported an equal, possibly deeper blush.

Seconds ticked by, neither of them saying a word, only the noise of the city streets below filling the air. Weiss bit her lip, waiting for any number of Winter's reactions, from an angry explosion to frigid disgust. She flinched when she heard Winter inhale deeply through her nose.

"Well," Winter said, her voice eerily calm. She tipped back her drink, downing the last few sips of her second glass of wine. She set the empty glass aside, meeting Weiss' eyes. "That's… something."

Weiss ducked her head in worry. "Is… that all you have to say?"

"Oh, there's  _plenty_  I have to say," Winter said quickly, slight strain in her voice. "Just nothing that useful… or for polite company."

Weiss winced, her shoulders drooping. "I'm sorry-"

"Don't," Winter silenced her, a hard gleam in her eyes. Glancing to the side, she gave a slight wave, and a waiter ran up from inside the restaurant with a bottle of wine, refilling her glass. Once he'd retreated, she stared into her full glass, saying, "If you truly love these girls as much as you say, do not apologize for anything you've done with them. What happens behind closed doors is none of my business." She frowned, looking slightly ill as she swallowed a mouthful of wine. "Nor do I wish it to be."

While Winter's words seemed kind enough, even supportive, Weiss stayed on edge. It was never this easy. "So… are you okay with… us?"

Winter gave Weiss a long stare. She took a calming breath. "Weiss, just to be clear: you had sex with three separate girls."

Winter's blunt statement made Weiss cringe, making her wish she was anywhere but there. "Yes," she said, her cheeks glowing.

Winter's face pinked. "At the same time."

Weiss sunk into her chair, unable to meet her sister's eyes. "...yes."

Winter paused, then took another deep drink, emptying half the glass. She cleared her throat, and the redness faded from her face. "And just a week after that one…  _encounter_ , you've entered a semi-permanent relationship with them." She set her glass aside, clasping her folded hands on the table. Her lips dipped at the corners, concern in her eyes. "Doesn't that seem a tad  _rushed_  to you?"

Weiss grimaced slightly, looking back up. "A bit," she admitted. "But we've known each other for months. We all care for each other. I feel closer to them than I have anyone… except you, of course."

Winter allowed a small smile at that, before schooling her face. "All reasons I could understand forming a romantic relationship, even one as odd as yours. I could accept if that was it. But Marking each other, Weiss? Doesn't that seem like too much too soon? You've essentially married these girls!"

Weiss, having made the poor decision to take a sip of her drink, nearly choked in her rush to correct Winter, her face flushing. "Wha- No! No, no, Mating isn't like that! At least not at this stage! It's not permanent if we don't want it to be. It can be reversed."

"Yes, just like a marriage can end in divorce." Seeing Weiss's mouth open in shock, Winter pressed on. "And I've heard stories about Faunus who break off being Mated, Weiss. It is a  _very_  painful process, that can leave scars on both parties." She dipped her head down, breaking eye contact. She sighed to herself. "Since you're human, I don't know if it would be the same with you. But… Weiss," She suddenly reached across the table, surprising Weiss by taking her hands in her own. She looked into Weiss' eyes, and the younger Schnee could see the worry in them. "We've both been through enough painful events as it is. I don't want to see this become another one for you."

Weiss stared at her sister, mouth agape. Winter hadn't shown this much emotion since they were both much younger, and Weiss wasn't quite sure how to react. "I… I really don't think that any of them would do anything to hurt me," she finally stuttered out.

If anything, Winter's grip tightened. "It's not just them hurting you on purpose I'm worried about. Have you even considered what you're going to do in this relationship long term?"

"I-I've thought about it…" Weiss said, unsure. "A bit…"

"And?"

"...I have no idea."

Winter huffed, pulling back her hands to cross her arms. "Weiss…" she drawled scoldingly.

Weiss mirrored her, lifting her chin defiantly. "We've only been in this relationship for a week, Winter. We have  _four years_  to figure everything out."

Winter frowned. "A lot can change in four years, Weiss."

"All the more reason not to waste time planning every detail right now." A smile crept onto her face. "Honestly, I rather like the thought of just taking the days as they come."

Winter arched an elegant brow. "How so?"

Weiss paused, trying to think how best to articulate what she meant. "Just that… it's refreshing, not having everything planned out. Not knowing exactly how my life is going to go." She scowled slightly. "Not having everything laid out for me. Being able to just… live."

As Weiss spoke, Winter's brow shot up in realization. She looked down at the table, closing her eyes. "I can understand that," she admitted grudgingly. She looked back up. "But I still feel you should plan out  _something_ , just in case. For instance, where will you live? Do you want to find somewhere in Atlas?"

Weiss paled at the very thought. "No! No, no, I… I don't want to risk them being anywhere near Father." She shivered. "I barely feel safe with an ocean between us."

While she kept her expression neutral, Winter nodded slightly in approval.  _At least she has no illusions on how our father will take this._  "That's what I mean though, Weiss. You have to consider these things."

Weiss' eyes darted across the table's surface, looking anywhere but Winter's eyes. "I'll talk it over with the others later."

Despite not being as concise an answer as she would have preferred, Winter nodded. "Good."

The table went silent after that, only broken by the low buzz of the city below them. A waiter hesitantly stepped out from the restaurant after a few minutes, carrying their forgotten meals. Apparently, two Schnees in deep conversation made the staff a tad leery of interrupting for any reason, even just to give them their food.

They ate in silence, Weiss getting only the barest enjoyment of her chicken salad as she mulled everything over. Winter glanced up from her meal of smoked salmon when she noticed Weiss starting to twirl her fork around a leaf of lettuce, but not actually eating anything. Without looking up from her plate, she asked, "What is it, Weiss?"

The younger Schnee looked up but otherwise didn't react. She was silent for a few minutes, then spoke. "You didn't really give me an answer."

Winter met her eyes. "Regarding?"

"...are you okay with my relationship?"

Winter held her gaze for a long few seconds. She eventually broke eye contact, going back to her meal. "I don't have an answer for you, Weiss. I don't know them well enough to have an opinion." Weiss wilted in her seat. Seeing her dejected look, Winter let out a short breath. "However," she relented, making Weiss perk up. "I can say this: you seem much happier since meeting these girls than when last we spoke. That is a point in their favor, at least."

Weiss smiled. It wasn't much, but it was a step in the right direction. Then she had a thought. "Would you like to meet them? Informally, I mean."

"Not when under scrutiny by our superiors, you mean," Winter countered with a knowing look. Weiss gave a tiny sheepish shrug. Winter chuckled lightly. "I'd like that. Though, I'm not sure how to go about this. How does one greet your sister's multiple suitors?" She'd meant it as a joke but found a hint of honest curiosity in her words.

Weiss pinked a bit. "I don't really know. I suppose going out for a meal could be a bit cumbersome. Maybe something more active?"

Winter hummed. "A spar, maybe? After hearing about your exploits last night, ill-advised _though they may be_ …" She narrowed her eyes slightly, Weiss having the decency to slump in concession. "...I admit I'm curious to see their fighting prowess in person."

Weiss nodded. It sounded like a good idea. Yang would love it, always looking for a chance to show off, and Ruby would probably like seeing Winter's saber in action. She wasn't sure about Blake, though. They'd have to talk about it once she came back from researching-

…

_Oh._

Weiss met Winter's eyes, wary and unsure.  _Should I…?_  she wondered to herself. It might be a risk, but if anyone could help…

"Actually… there is something I wanted to mention," she said hesitantly. "And… maybe get your opinion on?"

Winter raised a brow in interest. "What is it?"

Licking her quickly drying lips, Weiss said, "When we Marked each other, there was a…  _side effect_  that we only found out about recently."

Winter frowned in concern. "What kind of 'side effect'? Are you ill?"

Weiss was quick to shake her head. "No, nothing like that. It's…" She mulled over her options, resolving to stay with the blunt facts. "Do you know what a Faunus Affinity is?"

Winter blinked. "Vaguely," she admitted. "It occurs rarely when Faunus mix their auras. They can gain a new ability, usually something rather passive." She tilted her head ever so slightly, her eyes widening a bit. "Did…  _you_  gain one, Weiss?"

"We think so," Weiss said. "We gained  _something_ , for sure. But… I wouldn't call it passive." She looked into Winter's crystal blue eyes, calmed slightly at seeing warmth in them, rather than the usual ice. "Somehow… I think we all gave our Semblances to each other."

Winter's eyes blew wide, then narrowed. "That's impossible."

Weiss nodded in admittance. "Trust me, I would say the same if I hadn't seen the proof with my own eyes. Winter… Ruby, Blake, and Yang can use glyphs. And… yesterday, Yang and I  _both_  used Ruby's superspeed."

Winter stared into Weiss' eyes, her own narrowed in disbelief. Disbelief that slowly faded the longer Weiss met her gaze evenly. "You're serious," she breathed, her face going slack. "That's insane."

Weiss felt the corner of her mouth quirk upwards. "It seems most of my life is nowadays."

After a moment of stunned silence, Winter's expression turned neutral again. "Well, if that's true… what do you want from me regarding it?"

Folding her hands on the table, Weiss said, "I was hoping, if you had the time, that you could help me teach them how to use glyphs properly."

Winter was unimpressed, and her tone showed it. "Do you expect me to have several  _months_  free?"

Weiss rolled her eyes, an action that earned a lifted eyebrow from Winter. "I'm not saying that we try to teach them gravity or summoning. Just the absolute basics, maybe Dust interactions."

Winter gave her sister a long stare. She shook her head in exasperation. "Okay, I'll humor you. What do they already know?"

Weiss swallowed slightly. "Just barrier glyphs. Ruby and Blake could make one with little effort, but Yang has trouble with the gestures."

Placing a hand to her now throbbing temple, Winter asked, "If you don't mind me asking, Weiss, why do you need my help? If your…  _significant others_  can use our Semblance, you should be able to teach them the basics yourself."

Weiss shifted in her seat. "I could," she agreed. "But you always made the theory so much easier for me to understand. And…" She looked down, her face reddening slightly. "I'm struggling to advance with my own glyphs."

Winter frowned at that. "What are you having issues with?"

Weiss grimaced. She hated asking Winter for help with her own abilities, but if it got her to help her Mates… "Summoning," she admitted, not looking up from the table. "I can barely make the arm of a Knight."

Winter leaned back from the table, her lips forming a firm line. "I see."

Weiss tried not to wince. Winter hid it well, but Weiss could still hear disappointment in her tone. Nothing else needed to be said. Weiss already knew what her sister was thinking, how she'd been more than capable of summoning by Weiss' age.

Winter went quiet, and Weiss struggled to think of anything to say that could paint her skills in a better light. Her thoughts ended when she heard Winter sigh.

"I suppose I can assist you."

Weiss lifted her head in surprise. "Really?"

Winter nodded, her attention back on the last few bites of her meal. "Assuming General Ironwood has no immediate orders for me, I should have some free time tomorrow evening. I can help work through your troubles with the summoning glyphs after your detention." She paused to take a bite. "And, I suppose… if you brought your…  _girlfriends_ … I could assist them as well."

Weiss' eyes widened in disbelief before a smile overtook her face. "Thank you," she murmured softly.

Winter glanced up briefly, a slight grin tugging at her lips at Weiss' happiness. "Yes, well, bear in mind, I will remain skeptical of their supposed abilities until I see them myself." She took Weiss' quick nod as acknowledgment. She took one last sip from her wine, saying almost like an afterthought, "I hope you know what you're doing, Weiss. Our father will not be pleased when he hears of this." She scowled into her glass, muttering, "For multiple reasons…"

"I know," Weiss agreed, tensing her folded hands together as her fingers twitched nervously. Then her brow furrowed, her eyes hardening like ice. "But… I think this is worth the risk."

Winter raised an eyebrow at Weiss. After a few moments, her lips turned up in a proud smirk. "Maybe…"

 


	6. Glyphs

 

**Monday, 4:32 P.M., Beacon Academy…**

**...Cinder's Dorm**

"Taurus, have you completely lost your mind?!"

Within one of Beacon's many generic guest dorms, Emerald Sustrai let out a silent groan. Curled up in the large windowsill, the green-haired girl tried to focus on the weapon magazine she'd been trying to read for the last hour. Propping up her head on her fist, her red eyes skimmed through various articles, less out of actual interest, and more to ignore-

" _No, you will not! That is not a decision you can make on your own!"_

Looking up at the ceiling in exasperation, Emerald glanced towards the nearby bed. She met the eyes of her partner, Mercury Black, who had looked at her at that same moment. Laying on his back, the grey-haired teen paused in his mindless tossing of a blue ball he had found, catching it as it fell into his hand. There was a brief moment of silent camaraderie between them, both thankful that they were at least not suffering alone. Then Mercury shook his head, rolling his eyes as he went back to his thoughtless distraction. Huffing, Emerald turned back to her magazine.

Both teens were trying to be as quiet and out of the way as possible. They  _had_  been planning to go into the city, either to case their next target or just to distract themselves from the mind-numbing boredom Beacon offered them while undercover. However, to do that, they needed permission from their leader, Cinder Fall. And at the moment, talking to her about anything would be…

" _You bullheaded ass!"_

...ill-advised.

Emerald flinched, her hands clenching, accidentally crumpling her magazine. She risked a glance towards her leader, quickly going back to her reading when she accidentally caught Cinder's burning yellow glare.

For the last thirty minutes, Cinder had been angrily pacing around the room, in a hushed shouting match with her scroll that was getting louder by the minute. Emerald didn't know what it was about, just that Adam Taurus was on the other end of the call, but she was starting to get worried they would start attracting attention soon.

Not that Emerald was going to say anything. She was worried, not stupid.

Whatever Taurus was saying, though, he was making Cinder angrier by the second. The room was steadily growing warmer, Cinder's powers raising the temperature along with her temper.

Emerald and Mercury both jumped when Cinder suddenly slammed her fist onto a nearby desk. Through gritted teeth, the dark woman hissed, "Taurus, I am already dealing with this from Torchwick, so I will only say this one more time:  _I don't care._  I don't care about this girl, or what she's done, or any other petty little grudge you have against her. You are not wasting our hard-earned time, resources, and manpower,  _just so you can deal with your ex._ "

Both Emerald and Mercury's heads jerked up, staring at Cinder incredulously. They shot each other a look. They couldn't have heard that right.

Unfortunately, they weren't going to get clarification anytime soon. Taurus' response was so loud that the two could hear his muffled voice through the scroll, and whatever he said sent Cinder into a new tirade.

Emerald groaned again, turning away from her raging leader. She gazed out the window, staring forlornly at all the students milling around on the grounds. She'd gladly switch places with any one of them, even just for a few minutes, if it meant she could get out and do  _something._

Among the swath of teenagers on the grounds, she dimly recognized a few of them. One of them was impossible to miss, given the neon red cloak billowing behind her. The same girl that had nearly knocked Cinder over the other day was leading a group of other girls away from the school, waving excitedly for them to follow as she dragged one of them by the arm, a girl with orange hair and a bow.

Emerald scowled, going back to her reading as she tried to tune out Cinder's ranting.

_This job really sucks sometimes._

* * *

**Vale Docks, Warehouse District**

"So, how exactly do you think this will go, Snowflake?"

Weiss' eyes flinched towards the sky, holding in a worried groan. The sky was starting to tint orange as her team made their way through the winding paths between the various warehouses. Penny, at the behest of Winter, lead them past buildings and containers with the confidence of someone who'd made the trek regularly. From the way the dockworkers and occasional Atlassian soldier barely reacted to her presence, Weiss figured that was exactly the case.

"I don't know, Yang," she said, answering the blonde's question. "Winter said she'd help teach you three, but we didn't really talk about how."

Yang hummed, folding her arms behind her head. "So, we're going in blind. Sounds fun."

"I think it'll be fun!" Ruby piped up, bubbling with her usual pep. "I've been thinking about all the cool things I could if I used glyphs along with my speed." She squealed in excitement, her crutches wobbling as she swayed side to side. "It's gonna be awesome!"

Blake giggled lightly at Ruby's bubbliness. Even with her leg in the shape it was, Ruby's energy would not be contained. "I think you might be getting a little ahead of yourself, Ruby." She looked over towards Weiss.

The heiress nodded in agreement, though a slight smile played on her lips, too. "Blake's right, Ruby. Winter's going to help you learn the easiest parts of our Semblance, the most basic of the basics. There's a lot more involved with the more complicated glyphs than you might think."

Yang chuckled. "We figured that, Weiss. Some of the things I've seen you do must be a pain to learn."

Weiss huffed out a laugh. "You have  _no_  idea…" she muttered under her breath.

Ruby was undeterred, exclaiming happily, "Even if we don't learn much, it's still a whole new Semblance for us to learn. Besides," Her face fell for a moment, looking slightly miffed. "It's bound to be more fun than detention was."

The other girls couldn't help but groan in agreement, Blake and Weiss trying to ignore the throbbing in their arms. For their first day of detention, Goodwitch had made good on her comment about moving the new combat bots. General Ironwood had donated just shy of a hundred of the now-outdated AK-130s, and Team RWBY, along with Sun, Neptune, and Penny, had spent the better part of two hours after class moving them from the airfield to the training room. While they were thankfully lighter than the previous AK-100s, they were still a pain to move for everyone involved, save Penny and Yang, both of whom could carry two bot-filled crates effortlessly by themselves, to the annoyance of the others.  _They_ had to pair off and carry every single crate together, much to the protest of their aching arms. Ruby was the only one who was spared the heavy lifting, due to her leg, but she had to suffer an even worse fate in her opinion: helping Professor Goodwitch with the paperwork.

Once they were released from their punishment (for the day, anyway) and Sun and Neptune took off to do their own thing, Penny received a message from Winter, asking her to lead Team RWBY to a warehouse the Atlassian Military was currently renting. They were still trying to figure out why.

"Still seems a little odd that we're meeting here," Blake couldn't help but mention, glancing around the docks. Her ears dipped when she looked towards a certain spot of empty tarmac. Before her  _Sadness_  and  _Regret_  could take hold, she felt Yang bump shoulders with her, flashing her a grin.

"Specialist Winter was already stationed here today for inventory," Penny explained, glancing back at them. "And stated that one of the empty warehouses would serve well for training away from prying eyes."

Weiss nodded. "That makes sense. There'd be a lot of questions if someone caught us practicing at school." She couldn't help but shoot Yang and Ruby an annoyed glare. " _Again._ "

Yang rolled her eyes. "It ain't that big a deal, Weiss. Jaune and the others were cool with it."

"Pyrrha wouldn't look us in the eyes this morning."

Ruby giggled as she recalled what Yang and Weiss were talking about. As JNPR helped the sisters back to Beacon, Pyrrha and Nora helping Ruby limp along, while Jaune and Ren had to practically drag Yang by her shoulders, the two had laid out the whole Mates event, from the day after Blake's heat to them gaining their Affinity. Their responses had been… memorable, to say the least.

Ren, to no one's surprise, took the whole thing in stride, taking a moment to consider their words before stoically voicing his acceptance. Though his aloofness was somewhat ruined by the permanent flush in his cheeks. Nora was dumbfounded for a minute, before launching into a slew of questions, ranging from simple curiosity (which Ruby cheerfully answered) to wholly inappropriate (which Yang gleefully explained).

Jaune, true to Yang's words, hardly reacted to the 'revelation' that Team RWBY was as much an item as they were a team, more focused on the fact that they each now controlled  _four_  Semblances, while he was still trying to figure out if he even had  _one_. Pyrrha had the strongest response, becoming a red-faced stuttering mess after discovering Team RWBY's new dynamic. Though she hadn't said anything negative, thankfully.

Yang waved Weiss's worries away. "The girl just found out the four hot chicks across the hall all share a bed. Give her a few days to process and she'll be able to talk to us again without her face matching her hair." She barked out a laugh. "Honestly, I figured Jaune would be the one to act like that. But, nope! Guy didn't bat an eye at us."

"I  _did_  tell you he already knew about us, Yang," Blake reminded.

"Yeah, I know," Yang conceded, looking up at the sky. "But come on! I like the guy, but he usually worries and freaks about everything. But this? Nothin'!"

All conversation ended when Penny came to a sudden stop. "This is our destination!" she stated cheerfully, waving them towards the wide-open door of one particular warehouse.

"Finally!" Ruby said, leading the group in. "This is going to be so…" She came to a sudden stop only a few steps through the door. Her mouth opened in shock. "Whoa…"

The walls were old, the aged metal-tinged green form years spent beside the sea. Catwalks lined the upper levels, stretching across its length. The warehouse was bare for the most part, save a few Atlas embossed crates stacked against the walls. At the center of the mostly empty warehouse, however, stood a familiar hulking figure.

The rest of Ruby's team were similarly gobsmacked, Yang pointing and shouting, "What's that doing here?!"

It was the Paladin, the same one they'd fought two days prior. The once-proud machine had been reduced to a mechanical corpse, bits of broken, melted metal scattered on the ground around it. It's severed cockpit sat in a twisted heap at its feet, the mech having to be held up by multiple cables running down from the ceiling.

Blake's ears pinned back, the sight of the mech putting her on the defensive. "Why is it-?"

* * *

" _We had it moved here yesterday."_

All eyes snapped towards the legs of the broken mech. Winter slowly walked into view from behind the machine, her boots clicking against the concrete. Sparing the Paladin a glance, she went on. "The technology used to upgrade this Paladin, as well as the Paladin itself, were all stolen from our warehouses here in Vale. We're hoping to inventory how much of our missing stock was installed into this Paladin, and pin down what, if anything, Torchwick and the White Fang still possess."

"Oh." Each girl made sounds of understanding. Blake relaxed, though her ears stayed a little bent, her eyes flitting around the warehouse.

Winter made her way in front of the Paladin, stopping right in front of the girls. She nodded towards Penny, who flashed a smile in response. "Penny, there are some supplies in the back office we will require. Could you collect them for me?"

Penny snapped a salute. "Absolutely, ma'am." She ran off at once, leaving Winter alone with Weiss and her… girlfriends.

 _Well_ … Winter thought to herself.  _This should be…_ different, _if nothing else_.

She turned her attention towards Ruby. "Ruby, a pleasure to see you again. I assume your leg is healing as expected?"

Ruby grinned, glancing down at her leg. "Yep! The nurse said the brace might be able to come off tomorrow."

Winter made a small sound of surprise, looking impressed. "Your healing factor is quite remarkable."

"Yeah, Rubes has always healed pretty quick," Yang smirked, nudging Ruby a bit with her elbow. "We figure her Semblance has something to do with it."

Winter moved her gaze to Yang, giving her an appraising look. "I see." Her eyes panned towards Blake, giving her the same look up and down. She shifted her weight slightly, so subtle only Weiss and Blake caught it, then drew her lips into a polite line. "I suppose I didn't give much of a proper introduction yesterday to you two." She held out her hand to Yang and Blake. "I am Winter Schnee, Weiss' elder sister."

They both blinked at her, surprised. Yang grinned her trademark half-smile, grasping Winter's hand tightly. "Yang Xiao-Long, Ruby's big sister." Her smile shifted to a smirk. "Nice to meet ya. Weiss has told us a lot about you."

Winter arched a brow, glancing towards Weiss. "Has she now?"

Weiss said nothing, shooting Yang a half-hearted glare. Yang just smirked back, and Weiss rolled her eyes.

Noting this, Winter looked to Blake, holding out her hand. The cat Faunus hesitated, her ears pinning back slightly. She suddenly glanced to the side, meeting Weiss's calming eyes. She sucked in a breath, her shoulders and ears relaxing as she took Winter's hand. "Blake Belladonna. It's an honor, ma'am."

Winter nodded in return, unsurprised by the girl's polite tone and nervousness. After hearing of her exploits with the White Fang, Winter wasn't sure what to make of her as of yet. Though, perhaps she could now get one question of hers answered. "If I may ask, do you have any relation to Ghira Belladonna by chance?"

Blake's ears pinned back in an instant, her jaw tightening. "He's my father," she hesitantly admitted after a few seconds.

Winter hummed, having expected as much. It certainly explained how Blake was so devoted towards Faunus rights, yet turned against the White Fang as she did. "I had the pleasure of meeting him once," she said, much to the surprise of all those assembled.

"You did?" Blake asked, blinking in surprise.

"About… what was it, six years ago? A chance meeting in Mistral, if I remember correctly." Seeing the anxiety in Blake's eyes, she decided to give the girl an honest concession. "He's a good man. A good leader."

Whatever Blake was expecting her to say, it wasn't that. After a moment of stunned silence, her ears slowly perked back up, a hesitant smile forming on her lips. "Thank you for saying so."

Winter gave her a small nod. Looking at the group as a whole, she said, "Weiss explained your…  _status_  to me…" She couldn't help fumbling with her words a bit. It was still hard trying to wrap her head around just how  _involved_  her sister now was with these  _three_  girls. Thankfully, outside of a nervous flick of Weiss' eyes, none of them noticed her minor slip. "And she believes you've all gained a Faunus Affinity. Could one of you please explain it to me?"

There was a brief moment of silent deliberation, the members of Team RWBY communicating through looks and, based on the glow of their Mate's Marks, feeling each other's emotions. Winter found it quite fascinating to watch, focusing on Weiss as each of the symbols on her neck would brighten or dim, and Weiss would change her focus accordingly.

A decision was apparently made, as Ruby was the one to speak. Meeting the young leader's gaze, Winter was once again struck by how much emotion was in her silver eyes, shining with honest kindness. "We're not sure how, but somehow we've been able to use each other's Semblances."

Winter pursed her lips. "Yes, Weiss said as much. I hope you'll forgive me for remaining skeptical. Such a thing is… well, frankly, it sounds like that of a fairytale." She took a step closer, curiosity burning through her doubt. "Could you show me?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Ruby shifted her weight, placing her left crutch under her right arm, leaning heavily on both. "Sure!" Smiling brightly, she lifted her hand and held her palm up, curling her fingers into a gesture Winter was very familiar with.

Looking back, Winter felt rather foolish. She knew Weiss would never lie to her, especially with something so ludicrous, but she still hadn't quite believed her. It was just too fanciful to be true, people gaining one another's Semblances. Especially a hereditary one like the one she and Weiss shared.

So no one was more shocked than Winter herself when her mouth fell open, her eyes bulging as she stared at the shimmering  _red_  glyph hovering over Ruby's palm.

Ruby giggled, apparently finding her expression funny. "See? I told you. And it's not just me. Blake, Yang?"

Having to forcibly tear her eyes away from the…  _impossibility_  in front of her, Winter snapped her head to the side, just in time to see Blake curve her finger just as Ruby had, willing a violet glyph into existence. The Faunus' eyes darted from Winter's face to the glyph, her nervous smile widening just a tad.

Her shock starting to wear off, Winter turned an expectant eye towards Yang. She watched as the blonde brought her hand up, then hesitated. Yang frowned, concentrating as she twisted her fingers. She looked to Weiss, holding her hand up for appraisal. Weiss gave her a nod, a proud smile forming on her lips. Grinning back, Yang looked down at her palm, the muscles in her arm tensing slightly. An ever-familiar  _Schriiing!_  sliced through the air, and a slightly oversized glyph formed over Yang's palm. Grinning at the yellow snowflake, Yang laughed in triumph, pumping the air with her other arm.

Winter stared, dumbfounded by the multicolored glyphs in front of her. She was only startled from her stupor when someone cleared their throat. Winter blinked, looking over to find Weiss staring at her, a suppressed smirk on her lips as her eyes danced with mirth. Humorous blue eyes darted from her back to the three glyph-bearing girls in a way Winter could only interpret as "I-told-you-so'. She narrowed her eyes at her younger sister, unamused. Weiss merely looked away innocently.

This struck Winter as odd.  _I don't recall her ever being so… impish._  Her scrutiny shifted towards Ruby, remembering her…  _enthusiasm_  during their talk yesterday.  _Perhaps these girls are having a larger impact on Weiss than I thought._

Shaking off her initial shock, Winter nodded towards the girls. "Well, it seems Weiss was correct. This is… unprecedented." She floundered for a moment behind her calm facade. Where to go from here? She quickly settled for asking, "Is this the extent of your capabilities with glyphs?"

The three lowered their hands, their glyphs fading into the ether. Blake was the one who answered, albeit tensely. "It is. Weiss said that this one was the easiest to learn and that the others are much more complicated."

Winter noted how timid the cat Faunus was as she spoke to her. While understandable, given both their histories, she couldn't get to know the girl like Weiss wanted if Blake was constantly intimidated by her.  _Something to work on later,_  she thought.

Inclining her head towards Weiss, Winter said, "She is correct." She lifted her hand, a white glyph forming in her palm. "The barrier glyph is the absolute simplest at our disposal. It takes the least amount of effort to create, and requires an extremely simple visualization to focus on."

At that, Ruby frowned, her brow furrowed in thought. "Visualization?" she asked, not quite understanding.

Winter cocked a brow at her questioning tone, then looked to Weiss. "Did you not explain the concept of how our glyphs work?"

Weiss ducked her head, her face tinting slightly. "I meant to, but… I wasn't quite sure how to explain."

Winter frowned at her. "It's not that difficult, I don't think." Turning back to the others, she went to speak… only to hesitate. She'd been ready to give the same speech she'd given Weiss years ago, during that brief period where Weiss was just discovering her Semblance and Winter was still tolerating her father's presence. It had been easy enough at the time, given Weiss' willingness to learn and her own desire to assist her little sister. But now… she barely knew these girls. Yet, she was supposed to teach them a skill that only she and her sister shared.

 _Perhaps Weiss has a point,_  Winter thought, feeling an odd twinge in her chest.

Still, she was not one to back down. Weiss asked for her help with this, and she would give it to the best of her abilities. Steeling herself, she began her lesson. "Well, to begin with, you should all understand exactly what it is these glyphs do. When Weiss and I- and now you, I suppose- create a glyph, we are altering the world around us. Within the confines of these glyphs, we can change the rules of reality itself."

To her amusement, Ruby's eyes seemed to sparkle with stars as she listened to her words, mouthing the word 'cool' under her breath. Yang and Blake looked intrigued, but confused, sharing a quick look. "Could you explain that a bit more, please?" Blake asked.

"Certainly," Winter agreed. "We need only wait for… ah, perfect timing." The group looked towards the back of the warehouse as they heard a door creak open. Penny came in with a pair of wooden crates slung under one arm, and what looked to be a large cooler under the other. "Over here with them, Penny. Thank you." As the android set the boxes down a few paces away from them and began opening them, Winter turned back. "Perhaps it would be best to explain through demonstration."

The three girls looked at her curiously, while Weiss merely nodded, no doubt remembering how Winter had done the same thing for her years earlier.

With only the slightest turn of her head, Winter looked towards Penny. "Now."

In a flash, Penny pulled her head out of the crate and reared back her arm. The four members of Team RWBY caught only the brief glimpse of something grey and round in her hand before Penny threw it at Winter at superhuman speed.

The four girls flinched at the sudden action, panic on their faces, none more so than Weiss. Before they could fully process what was happening, Winter moved.

Without looking, Winter swung her arm towards Penny, her palm out. The glyph in her hand spun wildly, suddenly expanding to three feet in diameter. A dull thud sounded as something slammed into the glyph, followed by a metallic clang as the object fell to the floor.

Winter had to suppress the urge to smirk at their gobsmacked expressions, especially Weiss'. When she'd done the same for Weiss when they were younger, she'd used a kickball. Not a fifty-kilo ball of steel.

"Depending on the type of glyph," she continued, unperturbed that everyone was staring at the now dented ball of metal spinning on the ground. "We can change the world around us to fit the situation. A barrier glyph such as this one, for instance, achieves the simple function of creating a solid object in midair."

The barrier glyph faded away, and Winter then moved her hand into a different gesture. A new glyph formed on the ground beneath the metal ball, this one tinted black. "A more complicated example would be a gravity glyph, such as this one." Her fingertips twitched slightly, and the ball slowly rose to head-height.

Yang eyed the floating ball, crossing her arms. "Okay, I'll bite. What makes this one so complicated? You're just making it float. Our friend Pyrrha can do the same thing."

Winter arched a brow, noting how Weiss' eyes flicked between Yang and Winter worriedly. Her concern amused her somewhat.  _Did you forget you asked the same thing, Weiss?_  "A fair question," she answered. "The complication is that to alter the rules of nature, you must  _understand_  what it is that you are altering. A barrier glyph is easy because everyone can understand how a solid surface works. To alter gravity, you must understand the mechanics of it."

Blake's eyes lit up in understanding. "We have to know the science," she clarified.

Winter smiled kindly. "Precisely."

"Uh…," Ruby cut in, her eyes full of dread. "That sounds… complicated."

Winter turned to her, saying, "That's because it is, Ruby. The Semblance my family shares requires just as much mental preparation as it does physical ability, arguably more so."

A nervous chuckle passed Yang's lips, her shoulders stiffening a little. "Hehe… sounds fun…"

Weiss looked at her out of the corner of her eye, smirking. "There's a reason I strive to be the best student at Beacon, Yang. I have to be to use my Semblance properly."

Yang nodded faintly, her tone both apprehensive and impressed. "Yeah, no kidding. Half the stuff we've seen you do, I bet you  _need_  a big brain to pull it off."

Sensing the blonde's unease, and making a note to ask if Ozpin would allow her to see the girls' grades later, Winter continued. "Once you grasp the core concepts of a glyph's nature, Yang, it  _does_  become easier to conjure them through repetition. Our glyphs are extensions of ourselves, and like any part of yourself, the more you use them, the less effort will be required, both physically and mentally."

Yang's brow rose at Winter's words. She nodded slowly, her grin becoming more confident. "Okay, I think I get that."

Satisfied with her response, Winter decided to finish her little introduction. "Now, if we are done with the preambles, perhaps we could move on to some practical training."

This got Ruby's excitement up, the little leader practically bouncing on her crutches. "Oh, what are we going to do? Some kind of cool super-secret Schnee training regiment?"

Winter… could only blink back dumbly at her. She glanced to the side, seeing Weiss roll her eyes in exasperation, though an odd smile played on her lips. She met Winter's gaze, giving her a look that the elder Schnee took to mean " _Seeing what I'm dealing with every day?_ "

Filing away both Ruby's… odd question and Weiss' subsequent amusement, Winter spoke to the younger girl. "Not… exactly, Ruby. I merely want you all to work on mastering the barrier glyph, as well as your endurance with glyphs in general."

When Ruby voiced her confusion, Blake and Yang seeming equally bemused, Weiss explained. "She wants to test the limits of your glyphs. How strong they are, can you control their size, how many can you make at once- things like that."

"Indeed," Winter confirmed. "Once I see where your strengths and weaknesses lie, perhaps then we can see about moving onto the more… _thrilling_  types of glyphs."

Ruby's excitement dimmed a bit, making Winter wonder what exactly she thought they were going to be doing today. "Oh…" Then, so quickly it startled Winter, Ruby's face lit up once again. "Okay! Let's get started! What do we do first?"

Winter cocked her head at the girl's out of place enthusiasm. The young leader was not alone, as both Blake and Yang gained a determined glint in their eyes. Weiss was also looking at them, Winter noting the hint of pride on her face.

Winter smirked. Yes, this would be fascinating indeed.

* * *

**One Hour Later**

"Spread your fingers apart just a bit, Ruby. Keep your focus… yes, just like that!"

As Winter watched the red glyph above her head slowly double its size, she felt a swirl of satisfaction in her chest. Taking into account that this was their first real experience using glyphs, Weiss' team was doing surprisingly well. Better than she could have expected.

For simplicity's sake, Winter had broken down the barrier glyph training into three parts: size, platforms, and combat. Once each girl had mastered the first step, she would move them onto the next. Blake had taken to the practice surprisingly well, having near-perfect control altering her glyph's proportions in under ten minutes. Yang and Ruby had been a bit trickier, the younger sister having trouble with the minute movements required of her fingers to change the glyph's sizes, while the older seemed to have trouble with control in general. Still, with some pointers from Weiss and herself, Winter had enough confidence in their limited ability to move onto something more, as Yang had put it, 'fun'.

"Coming through!"

Looking upwards, Winter just caught sight of Yang landing onto Ruby's glyph, running across its surface before leaping off, summoning her own glyph directly under herself. Blake was hot on her heels, forming a violet glyph in front of Yang's as Ruby's faded away behind her.

It had started simply enough, with Winter having them focus on making glyphs strong enough to stand on. As Weiss soon warned her, however, it took Yang a mere five minutes after making a consistently strong glyph to turn the whole concept of the training into a game. Using her glyphs, she set to creating a constantly changing obstacle course in the upper levels of the warehouse. A mere yell of encouragement and roll of amber eyes later, and Blake had soon joined her, flipping through the air with stunning grace. Ruby, unable to join in the fun properly, settled for randomly adding her own glyphs into the mix, still trying to change their size consistently.

"Bizarre, isn't it?"

Weiss's voice broke Winter from her thoughts. The younger Schnee had wandered over to her, leaving Ruby to practice on her own. Winter followed her sister's gaze, watching as Blake, Yang, and now, after another yell of invitation, Penny, ran laps in the air, leaping and weaving through the ceiling's supports and catwalks, landing on their self-made platforms.

"That's one word for it," Winter agreed.

Truthfully, as she listened to Yang's constant laughs and taunts ("C'mon, Penny! Don't tell me I'm faster than the super bot!"), there was a part of her that wanted to berate them all, because  _their Semblance was one of the few proud things left of their family's legacy,_ not _a plaything!_  But as she watched the teens use their new powers for… well,  _fun_ … it somehow brought a smile to her face.

"Thank you for helping them," Weiss said warmly, her bright smile in place. "You didn't have to."

Winter spared her a glance, then looked back to the team. "Yes, well… if they're going to have our Semblance, the least I can do is ensure they use it properly." She paused for a moment as Blake pulled off an impressive feat, using two vertical glyphs to wall-run ahead of Yang and Penny, much to Yang's annoyance. "You realize teaching them more than this is going to be extremely difficult."

Weiss let out a beleaguered sigh. "I  _know_. Just thinking about trying to get Yang and Ruby to understand time-stop glyphs… or, Dust forbid,  _summoning_ … ugh…" She pinched the bridge of her nose, groaning.

Winter smirked at her misfortune. "They have a long way to go before they reach those skills." After a moment's thought, she offered, "General Ironwood has me stationed here in Vale for the foreseeable future. If you like, we can make these training sessions a regular event… when I have the time, of course."

Weiss blinked, then gave her a rare, unrestrained smile. "Thank you. That means a lot."

Winter merely hummed in acknowledgment, smiling gently. Then she frowned, turning her attention back to the training teens. "What are they doing?"

Weiss followed her line of sight, then groaned. Yang, Blake, and Penny had returned to the ground, circled in a huddle with Ruby just out of earshot. Yang was speaking rapidly, a manic grin on her lips as she gestured around wildly. Whatever she was saying, Ruby soon sported an excited smile of her own, while Blake shook her head in exasperation. Penny tilted her head at Yang, nodding every few words with a thoughtful look on her face.

" _Great,_ " Weiss huffed. "Yang has an idea."

Concern grew in Winter's chest at her sister's tone. "Should we be worried?"

Weiss sighed. "For  _her_ , maybe." At Winter's questioning brow, she explained. "Yang tends to leap before she looks. Same with Ruby."

Still perplexed, Winter replied, "Well, I doubt she could do anything that dangerous…"

Winter trailed off as the girls broke apart, evidently reaching a decision. Yang gave a fist pump as she turned to face the corpse of the Paladin. Ruby and Blake stood on either side of her, looking intently at the air above them. Penny suddenly leapt up, using two of her blades to hover up onto a catwalk spanning the width of the warehouse, directly above the destroyed Mech.

Winter's eyes narrowed. "What are they…?"

Yang suddenly hunched over, her whole body tensing. Ruby and Blake lifted their arms, each of their hands forming the gesture for a barrier glyph.

Weiss's breath hitched. "Oh, you can't be… Yang!"

Winter looked rapidly from her sister to her team. "What? What's she-?"

_Schriiing!_

In near tandem, Blake and Ruby's hands glowed, summoning two glyphs each. Two red glyphs appeared directly in front of them at differing heights, while two violet vertical ones materialized on either side of the mech.

Weiss had barely a moment to question this when Yang  _moved_.

A yellow blur shot across the warehouse floor, trailing yellow flower petals in its wake. It seemed to leap up off the ground, skipping across the two red glyphs, then streaked toward the left of the Paladin. It hit the first violet glyph, bouncing upwards over the mech, hitting the underside of the catwalk with a violent  _clang!_  then to the other glyph.

Not really processing what was happening, Winter gasped as the yellow blur sailed off the violet glyph, out into the open air. Just when she thought it was going to slam into and through the far wall, a yellow glyph appeared from nowhere directly in front of it. The blur bounced off the yellow glyph, sailing up into the air back the way it came. It arched across the warehouse, skimming the ceiling, before crashing onto the catwalk beside Penny.

The moment the blur stopped moving, it exploded into a sea of yellow petals, revealing a breathless and stunned Yang. She looked down at herself, at Penny beside her, then to the warehouse floor below. The wildest, craziest grin Winter had ever seen spread across her lips as she threw both fists into the air. "Woo! Yeah! I did… oh, crap!"

Yang's legs suddenly gave out from under her, Penny swooping in to catch her before she fell. "Yang!" Blake shouted in panic, already moving towards the catwalk. "Are you okay?!"

"I-I'm good! Yang shouted back, trying to shake her head clear as Penny helped her stand. "I'm freaking exhausted, but I'm good!" She let out an excited cackle, lavender eyes slightly unfocused. "I'm  _great_! That was… that was AWESOME!"

Winter blinked dumbly as Penny started hovering back to the ground, Yang cradled in her arms. Watching Ruby hobble over to them, babbling about how 'epic' her sister's performance was, the elder Schnee looked at Weiss from the corner of her eye. "You said that you four can use  _all_  of each other's Semblances?"

Weiss swallowed nervously, eyes glued to her girlfriends as she replied shakily. "We think so."

"So…  _you_  are capable of  _that_?"

Weiss nodded mechanically. "P-possibly."

Winter took a slow breath. "Well…" she eventually said. "This is going to be…  _interesting_ , to say the least."


	7. Coffee and Cream

 

**Tuesday, Beacon's Infirmary**

"Just one more buckle, Miss Rose.  _Please_  hold still."

Ruby groaned impatiently from her bedside perch, wishing that the nurse would hurry up. It had been almost an hour since the nurse said she could finally,  _finally_ , get the cursed brace off her leg. It should have been off much sooner, but given how quickly she had healed, the nurse had insisted on running tests to make sure her leg was strong enough to stand on.

Yang chuckled, leaning against the wall as she watched her sister squirm. "Calm down, Sis. You're almost free."

Ruby pouted as the nurse fiddled with the brace. "But I want to  _run_. You have no idea how much I wanted to during detention."

Detention that day had been the most bizarre thing they'd done at Beacon yet: capturing Grimm for Port's class. Nothing too dangerous, Boarbatusks and small Beowolves, but still; after being taught to only kill creatures of darkness, it had been a novel experience trying to capture them alive. One that left most of them with bruises (or, in Sun's case, a bitten tail, courtesy of a puppy-sized Beowolf).

With Port's leadership, it hadn't been all  _that_  hard. The man had such a thorough understanding of the forest that he knew exactly where to go to find certain Grimm all on their own, where there'd be no danger of getting outnumbered by the beasts. Then he'd give them orders, things like having Weiss summon a gravity glyph under a charging Boarbatusk at just the right time. Or having Penny distract a Nevermore by flying circles around it while Sun and Neptune prepared to jump on its back.

For Ruby, it had been pure torture. The way she saw it, fighting Grimm in such a way didn't seem like so much a punishment as an exciting new way to train. Which is why being stuck on the sidelines, watching everyone else have all the fun while being forced to listen to Port's endless commentary and anecdotes, was putting this day at the top of her shortlist of worst days ever.

Of course, it would all be forgotten if she could finally just  _get this freaking brace off!_

Yang smiled a bit, Ruby's  _Impatience_  and  _Anticipation_  making her true meaning clear: I want to run  _with you_. "I know, Ruby," she said patiently. "Just a little longer."

"Or, right now."

There was a small snapping sound, and Ruby felt the pressure around her leg disappear. The nurse unwrapped the limp brace, standing up with it in her arms. "Well, Miss Rose," she said with a small smirk. "It seems you're free to go. Please try to go at least another month without ending up in here again."

With her leg finally free, Ruby leapt off the bed, shifting her weight from foot to foot. She beamed at the nurse. "Thank you!" she shouted, making a beeline for the door.

Yang watched her go, rolling her eyes at Ruby's impatience. She nodded to the nurse in thanks, which was returned, before following her sister out.

The moment she pushed through the door, Ruby grabbed her by the arm and started dragging her. "Yang, c'mon! We gotta get to the forest before it gets too dark. Oh, this'll be so cool! C'mon, c'mon!"

Yang let herself be dragged down the halls for a bit, biting back a laugh at just how  _Excited_  Ruby was. In the back of her mind, she could Feel Weiss and Blake's  _Amusement_  mirroring her own. When they had nearly reached the school exit, Yang decided to rein Ruby in a bit.

"Ruby," Yang laughed as Ruby tugged even harder when Yang tried to slow down. "Ruby!" Digging in her heels, Yang pulled hard, spinning Ruby around and planting her hands on her sister's shoulders. Kneeling down just enough to be eye level with her, Yang said, "Hey! I know this is kind of impossible for you, but you need to  _slow. Down._ "

"But… but, but," Ruby gave her the puppy-dog eyes, like Yang had taken away her favorite toy. "But I can run again! And you can run! And Blake, and Weiss! We can-"

"I know!" Yang chuckled. "Ruby, I  _know_. I know how excited you are that we can all run together. But I need you to calm down and  _breathe_  for just five minutes."

Ruby pouted. "Okay…" she grumbled.

"Good. Now, think for a second. Remember what happened to me when I tried using your Semblance at first?"

Ruby frowned. "You lost yourself, then crashed."

Yang huffed a laugh. "Yeah.  _Hard._  And I had a pretty good idea what I was in for. Do you think Blake and Weiss are gonna be any better?"

It took a moment, but Ruby soon wilted, her shoulders slumping. "Oh, I don't want them to go through that. What can we do?"

Yang shook her head. "Don't think there's much we can do about that part. But,  _maybe_  we can help them with the aftermath." At Ruby's questioning look, she asked, "Wanna see if we can raid the school pantry?"

Ruby blinked. Then she smiled widely. "Race you there!"

Before Yang could say another word, Ruby blurred away, leaving rose petals in her wake.

Yang stared down the hall for a second, then ran a hand down her face. "And she forgot we're keeping this Affinity stuff a secret." Running after her at normal speed, Yang grumbled to herself.  _I really need to check if there's such a thing as 'speed deprivation', 'cause Ruby gets it real bad._

Again, Yang felt Blake and Weiss'  _Humor_ , though this time directed at herself.

"Yeah, yeah, keep laughing you two," Yang muttered with a smirk. "You'll be sharing this headache real soon."

* * *

**Beacon's Airfield**

"Well. I guess Ruby's already up and running."

Weiss giggled in response as she and Blake stepped off the Bullhead, their arms loaded down with shopping bags. "Probably. She's already annoying Yang."

Blake laughed with her, leading them up the path back to the school. It had been a quick run into the city, just to pick up the new scrolls Weiss had ordered for them all. There had been a bit of arguing on her girlfriend's part, each saying that Weiss didn't need to go and buy them all scrolls, let alone the latest model. Weiss had shut them all down rather quickly, saying that it was no problem. They needed new scrolls, she had the money, and she wanted to.

Plus, while they were in town, it gave Weiss the chance to sneak off and look up a certain…  _special_  gift she wanted to get them all. She just had to find the right time to ask them all about it.

"So," Blake said as they walked up the path. "Are you excited about later?"

Weiss jumped, her stomach dropping.  _Did… did Blake just read my mind?_

"U-um…" she stuttered awkwardly. "A-about what?"

Blake quirked a brow at her tone. "Learning Ruby's Semblance. Why, what did you think I meant?"

Weiss' brow shot up, relief flooding her. "Oh! Oh, yes, Ruby's Semblance, of course that's what you meant. What else?" She giggled nervously, hoping Blake would buy it.

From Blake's unimpressed look, she hadn't but chose not to comment. "So?" she asked instead.

Letting herself calm down, Weiss thought for a moment. "I'm not sure. I mean," she added quickly, seeing Blake's questioning look. "I want to be able to use this power, of course, but…"

Blake nodded in understanding, feeling Weiss' unease. "It's weird since it's not supposed to be  _our_  power?"

Weiss nodded. "Exactly. Plus, the thought of  _Ruby_  teaching us is… different."

Blake chuckled as they passed between two buildings, entering the main courtyard. "I know what you mean. Still, it shouldn't be too bad. You already did it once, right?"

Weiss groaned. "Apparently. Too bad I don't remember how I did it… or even noticed when it happened."

"Well, we'll just have to see. Between her and Yang, we should be able to get started, at least."

Weiss hummed, conceding the point. A thought struck her. "You know, now that I think about it… I don't know what  _your_  Semblance is, Blake."

Blake blinked in surprise. Then, she gave a sheepish smile, her ears wilting at the sides. "Yeah, I haven't really had to use it for a while. Sorry."

"It's alright," Weiss assured her. "It just struck me as odd, given our…  _unique_  situation."

Blake giggled in agreement. "Good point. Though, I'm not sure what use my Semblance could be to you three. All I can do is-"

"Hey, Blake!"

A sudden shout cut off Blake's words. The pair turned to face the voice, towards a collection of picnic tables. It was Velvet who was calling them over, Coco eyeing them from behind her aviators. Books and papers were strewn about their table's surface, likely the result of an outdoor study date.

Blake's face lit up when she saw who it was. "Velvet! Hey, what…"

To Weiss' confusion, Blake trailed off suddenly, blinking. Then her smile grew wider. Velvet must have noticed this, her cheeks tinting as she ducked her head a bit. Still smiling, she waved them over to their table. Blake went instantly, Weiss trailing behind her uncertainly. She had a vague idea of what this would be about, but she wasn't sure how to feel about it.

"So," Blake said, sitting down across from the pair. "It seems you didn't waste time."

Velvet smiled bashfully, eyes darting towards Coco, who smirked back. Weiss didn't quite understand until Coco turned her head. Just above the ruffled collar of her shirt, there was a small splotch of purple on her neck, surrounded by a ring of teeth marks. Flecks of light tan showed through the healing bruise, faint against Coco's skin. Weiss' brow rose in recognition.

"Yes, well…" Velvet trailed off awkwardly.

Coco rolled her eyes behind her aviators, her smirk fading to a fond smile. "What Vel's trying to say is, after you two had your little talk Sunday, she told me about this whole Mate's Mark thing later that night."

Blake's brow rose. "You didn't know about it?" After being together for so long, she'd assumed…

Coco cocked a brow at her. "No, I didn't." She then turned fully towards Velvet, putting a hand on the Faunus' head, right between her long ears. With faux-anger, she griped, "And I'm still not too happy she kept it a secret from me for so long."

Velvet pouted, her ears sagging at the sides. "Coco, I told you-"

"I know why you did it, Vel," Coco said, her voice lowering to a warm whisper as she rubbed the back of Velvet's ear with her thumb. "And it's very sweet. But you should know me better by now."

Velvet didn't respond outside of a bashful nod, smiling as she leaned into Coco's touch.

Weiss was surprised at the interaction and slowly turned to Blake. She'd made it sound like petting a Faunus' ears like that was meant to be private. Though judging from Blake's slight blush, and her averting her eyes from the pair, maybe there was still truth to that. Weiss caught Blake's gaze, and the cat Faunus shot her a look that clearly said, ' _I'll explain later_ '.

"Anyway," Coco went on, retracting her hand. "Velvet gave me a crash course on Mate's Marks, then gave me this." She ran her fingertips over her fledgling Mark. "But, she said that for me to do the same to her, we need your help. How exactly is that going to go down?"

Blake, having fought off her blush, frowned in thought. "I'm not really sure. I think that all I need to do is get Velvet's Mark started, then have you take over."

Coco grimaced slightly. "By 'get it started', you mean you'll have to bite Velvet."

Sensing Coco's unease and seeing Velvet's face tint, Blake's ears pulled back in worry. "Y-yes. That's right." Blake shrank under the fashionista's gaze, Coco's frown deepening. "I'm sorry?"

Coco kept up her glare until Velvet elbowed her softly in the side, pouting in reprimand. After a moment, Coco sighed, pulling off her glasses. "Look," she said, her brown eyes meeting Blake and Weiss' both. "I'm not going to pretend I fully understand this whole thing yet. But, it's important to Velvet…" She glanced at Velvet, her girlfriend smiling back. "And… it  _is_  nice being able to…  _Feel_  her like this. So… if you'll give us your help, we'll take it."

Blake smiled kindly. "I'm happy to do it. I'm just not quite sure…  _how._ "

Coco frowned. "Well, that's a bit of a problem. My Mark is only gonna last a week at most."

"I could look up more on it."

The three turned in surprise towards Weiss. The heiress winced internally at the sudden attention but met their stares evenly.

"You could?" Coco asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Weiss nodded, looking Coco in the eye. "I found the story that helped us become Mates. If I re-read the myth, cross-reference some of the details, maybe I can work out exactly what we have to do."

Coco tilted her head back a little, a thoughtful gleam in her narrowed eyes. Velvet, on the other hand, was ecstatic. She leaned forward in her seat, asking excitedly, "Could you? That would be amazing, Weiss."

Weiss smiled. "It's no problem. I'll look into it later, and get back to you as soon as I can."

Velvet was practically bouncing in her seat. "Great! Oh, wait, let me give you my scroll number."

As Velvet scribbled down her number on a spare scrap of paper, Coco looked between Weiss and Blake in interest. "So… you two are really Mated?" she asked, a hint of skepticism in her voice. "To each other, and Ruby and Yang?"

Catching her tone, Blake and Weiss frowned at each other. "Yes…" Blake replied slowly. "Is there something wrong with that?"

Coco shrugged, pointedly ignoring Velvet's warning glance. "Not really, you do you. It just seems a little…  _odd_ …" No one missed her sharp look towards Weiss. "All things considered."

Velvet elbowed her girlfriend in the side, her ears drooping down her back. " _Coco!_ " she hissed in reprimand.

Weiss sighed, closing her eyes. She had a good idea as to what Coco was implying. Blake did as well, given the quick shot of  _Indignation_  that shot up Weiss' spine. Weiss sent over a quick burst of  _Calm_  and  _Assurance_ , mindful of the sour look Blake was no doubt sending Coco's way. "You are referring to my family's history with Faunuskind?" she asked, her crystal blue eyes meeting Coco's deep brown.

Coco raised a slight brow. "Partly. I'm talking more about how you wouldn't stop scowling at every Faunus you passed in the halls your first couple months here." Her eyes darkened considerably. "Velvet included."

Weiss blinked. Okay, so not  _exactly_  what she thought, but not too far off. "Ah. Well." She shot Blake a look, unable to keep feelings of guilt from rising to the surface. Blake's sympathetic smile reassured her that she'd forgiven that a long time ago. Weiss took a short breath, looking back to Coco. "My father has a very…  _vocal_  opinion about the Faunus people. One that he made sure I and my brother shared. Coming here to Beacon-"  _And being away from him_ , she added silently. "-opened my eyes quite a bit."

Coco just stared into Weiss' eyes for a long minute, as if searching for something. Velvet kept glancing between the two like she was worried Coco was about to instigate something.

"...okay," Coco eventually said, leaning back in her seat. "I can buy that."

The other three at the table let out a collective breath. "That's it?" Weiss couldn't help but ask.

Coco shrugged shamelessly, a smirk tugging at her lips. "Pretty much. Just seemed kind of strange that you went from the Ice Queen to, well…" She waved vaguely between Blake and Weiss.

Weiss smiled, unable to deny Coco's point. "Yes, well…" She looked at Blake, eyes asking. Blake grinned back, offering her upturned hand. Weiss took it in her own, squeezing gently. "It's been an enlightening few months."

Coco was full-on smirking now, scooting a bit closer to Velvet on the bench, draping her arm over her shoulders. "Yeah, I know the feeling."

Velvet blushed a little, before handing her number across the table. Blake said her thanks, reaching out to take it when she suddenly stiffened. At her side, Weiss' eyes widened in the same instant.

"Uh…" Coco droned uncertainly. "Something wro-?" She jumped when Blake and Weiss abruptly slammed their hands down on the table, right over Coco and Velvet's books and papers. "What-?"

Coco got her answer as a red whirlwind shot out of the school entrance, streaking across the grounds. It weaved through the throng of students milling about, darting around aimlessly until it circled their table, Ruby Rose's form materializing behind Blake and Weiss. A blast of air arrived a second after her, rustling the paperwork held tightly under Blake and Weiss' palms. Rose petals drifted in the wind, covering every surface around them.

"Blake!" Ruby shouted, bouncing from one foot to the other. "Weiss! Look, I can run again! We can- oh, hi Coco! Hi Velvet!" Ruby spared the now-confused partners a brief glance, before looking back down at Blake and Weiss, who had turned their heads to face her. "C'mon, we only have a couple hours till night time. If we hurry, we can catch Professor Port before he leaves!"

"Ruby!" Blake tried to say over her leader's hyperness. "Wait for just a-"

But Ruby was currently in her own world, already speaking again. "I'll run ahead. See you there!"

In another flash of red, Ruby was gone, leaving rose petals and overturned students in her wake.

Weiss groaned as she straightened her back, glancing at the table to make sure no books or papers had been blown away, even as a huff of laughter escaped her lips. "Seems she didn't waste time," she said to Blake.

Blake smirked back. "You expected her to?"

" _Dammit, Ruby!_ " Yang's voice suddenly boomed from the school entrance, the blonde running out the doors as fast as she could towards the red dot in the distance. She didn't even notice Blake and Weiss as she charged through the crowd of students, gritting her teeth in annoyance. "I told you to wait for me!"

Weiss rolled her eyes as the sisters disappeared from view, making to stand. To Velvet and Coco, she said, "Sorry, but we'd better follow them before Ruby gets even antsier."

Velvet waved them off. "It's fine, we get it. You'll call if you find something?"

Blake nodded, taking the piece of paper Velvet offered. "You can count on it."

After exchanging goodbyes, Blake and Weiss ran off in Ruby's direction, leaving Coco and Velvet alone. Watching them go, Coco chuckled. "A whole team of girlfriends. That is a whole new level of different."

Velvet nodded, humming. "I don't know how they do it. They seem happy, though." She waited for a moment, then turned to Coco. "You owe Weiss an apology, you know."

Coco groaned, her eyes rolling up. "C'mon, Vel, you know why I was angry."

"Yes," Velvet replied, her eyes somehow both stern and humorous. "And it was  _very_  sweet. You're still apologizing to her."

Coco gave an exaggerated huff. She wasn't even going to try and resist Velvet's famous droopy-eared pout, smiling fondly as she turned back to their homework. "Yes, ma'am…"


	8. Speed

 

**Ten minutes later, Emerald Forest**

"We really appreciate this, Professor Port."

"Oh, think nothing of it, Miss Rose!" The portly professor boomed as he lead the four girls deep into the Emerald Forest, towards a clearing he had claimed as his own. "I had planned to remain here for a few hours anyway. It's no trouble to escort you. Especially after the help you gave me earlier."

"Uh, no offense, sir," Yang interjected, shifting the weight of the borrowed duffle bag hanging from her shoulder. "But we didn't really have a choice in helping you. Detention and all?"

On either side of her, Blake and Weiss nodded in agreement.

Port shook his head, quirking his grand mustache. "Regardless, voluntary or not, you all saved me hours of work capturing these mighty beasties."

As if in answer, a howl sounded from directly in front of them. As the group stepped out into the clearing, several sets of molten yellow eyes tracked their every movement. Six cages of various sizes lay strewn about the area, each one housing an agitated Grimm. Two Boarbatusks, a tiny Nevermore, and, caught by Port himself, a very large and very angry Ursa Major.

The bearlike Grimm reared up on its hind legs as they passed its prison, roaring in rage as it slammed its paws against the bars.

"Yes, yes, bellow all you like," Port dismissed the creature with a wave. "You're not getting out of there until the Senior class' pop quiz come Friday."

At his words, the Mated members of Team RWBY shared a look, each one having the same sense of disbelief and unease. If an Ursa Major was part of a pop quiz, what the heck did Port do for the actual tests?

As they were marching passed the row of cages, Ruby said to the professor, "We're going to do a few little experiments before we try for real."

Port nodded with a chuckle. "Of course, of course. Merely give me a warning before you head off. I'll be back examining our new friends in the meantime."

The girls nodded to him as he walked away, while they continued to the opposite edge of the clearing, far enough away that the roars of the captured Grimm weren't too distracting. Once the howls and growls had faded to mere white noise, Ruby whirled around, putting her hands on her hips as she faced her girlfriends and sister.

"Alright, team," she started, going into her rendition of 'drill instructor mode'. "Day one of Ruby Rose's Superspeed Academy begins now!"

Weiss rolled her eyes with a huff, a slight smile tugging at her lips. "Ruby, must you do this?"

"Yes, I must!" Ruby punctuated her sentence with a sharp jab in Weiss' direction.

Yang and Blake chuckled at her antics. "Okay, seriously, Ruby," Yang said. "How do you want to go about this?"

Ruby pouted at them all. "You're all no fun," she muttered with no bite. She cupped her chin, looking up at the sky in thought. "Well, the first thing we should do is make sure that Blake and Weiss can activate my Semblance."

Yang nodded in agreement, while Blake and Weiss shared a look. "How…  _exactly_  do we do that, Ruby?" Weiss asked, crossing her arms.

Ruby blinked, then smiled. "Oh, that's easy! You just need to…" She trailed off, looking down at her hands. She frowned. "First you…" She flexed her hands, her fingertips blurring red. Ruby tilted her head at them, thinking. "Hmm…"

Confused, Blake and Weiss looked to each other again. Yang bit back a chuckle at her sister's expense like she was in on some joke. Glancing at her, Blake turned her attention to the young leader. "Something wrong, Ruby?"

Ruby looked up from her hands, surprised. She smiled sheepishly. "Oh! Sorry. Um… it's just that…" She struggled with her words for a moment, speaking as much to herself as them. "I know what you guys have to do, but… I'm not sure how to explain it."

"Want me to try, Sis?" Yang asked, surprising the monochrome pair.

"How could you explain it better than Ruby could, Yang?" Weiss asked with a frown.

Yang just grinned, stepping next to Ruby. "Easy. See, when Ruby's Semblance first started acting up, it took me, Dad, and our Uncle Qrow a lot of thinking to figure out exactly how she could control it."

Seeing Blake and Weiss' surprised expressions, Ruby nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Before, it was really hard to use my speed when I wanted to, and a lot of times, I'd use it when I  _didn't_  want to."

Yang snorted in amusement. "Yeah. Between my strength and Ruby's random speed bursts, Dad had to start buying paint and spackle in bulk just to fix all the holes in the house." Either not noticing or not caring about her girlfriends' gobsmacked expressions, Yang went on. "Anyway, we eventually latched onto the best ways for Ruby to practice her Semblance. Y'know, for her to train how to turn it on and keeping it on."

Blake and Weiss nodded in understanding. They'd both had similar learning curves when they were first discovering their abilities. "But…" Weiss asked, her brow furrowing as she looked to her youngest girlfriend. "I don't understand, Ruby. Why is it so hard to explain, then?"

Ruby's cheeks tinted as she looked away, rubbing the back of her head bashfully. "Well… I guess 'cause… I don't use them anymore?"

"What?"

"What she means is…" Yang explained, ruffling Ruby's hair. "Ruby's gotten to the point now where she doesn't need to do those practices. Going from zero to a hundred is second nature to her now. Right, Sis?"

Ruby nodded, smiling up at her big sister. "Right. I know what I have to do to use my speed, but I can't really explain it. I don't even have to think about using my speed anymore, it just kinda… happens." She shrugged helplessly, emphasizing her point.

Weiss nodded, kind of getting it. "I suppose that makes sense." She then raised a brow at Yang. "That still doesn't explain how you can explain it any better, or, now that we're on the subject, how you can already use Ruby's Semblance so easily."

Weiss punctuated her sentence with a warning tone, one Blake couldn't help but agree with. They'd both tried asking how Yang could already use Ruby's Semblance, but the blonde had stayed tight-lipped, much to their irritation. She kept saying she'd explain it when they got to training.

Yang chuckled, putting her hands on her hips. "Well, first off, I wouldn't call it  _easy_. Still feels like I ran to Patch and back every time I do it.  _Buuut_ , as for how, it's simple: every time Ruby practiced her Semblance growing up, I was there helping her. I've always known what she has to do to use her Semblance. I just never had a reason to use it myself."

Blake hummed in thought. "So that gave you a head start."

Now Yang was the one to rub her neck sheepishly. "Well… sort of. I might be a step ahead of you and Weiss, but I'm about ten steps behind Rubes at the moment." She then shot a look at Ruby. "Tell you what, Sis. How about I give them a crash course in turning the speed on, then you take over on how to control it?"

After a moment's thought, Ruby's lips split into an excited grin. "That could work. I need to plan out a course for us anyway." Facing her girlfriends once more, Ruby slipped into her faux-teacher persona. "Alright students, change of plans! While I go mark off a running course for us, I will leave you in the experienced hands of my apprentice Yang."

Yang raised an unimpressed brow, crossing her arms. "Apprentice?"

"See you in a bit!" Without giving the slightest chance for a response, Ruby ran off towards the caged Grimm to let Port know what she'd be doing.

Blake watched her go, her amusement tinged with a bit of worry. "Is Ruby okay?" she asked Yang. "She seems a bit more… impulsive than usual."

Yang waved her off with a chuckle. "She's been stuck in the slow lane for three days. She's a little hyper right now." Without warning, a red blur shot between them all, zooming out of the clearing and into the forest with an excited yell. Batting away the rose petals settling in her hair, Yang waved towards Ruby's vanishing form with a smirk. "Case in point."

Blake and Weiss giggled in agreement. Then Weiss decided to bring them back to the point at hand. "Okay, Yang. How do we get started?"

Yang looked her and Blake over, a contemplating look on her face. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Well, it  _is_  a little complicated. There are two main parts of Ruby's Semblance you need to get down before we can actually try running."

"And they are?" Blake asked curiously.

At her and Weiss's perplexed looks, Yang tried to explain. "Look, turning Ruby's Semblance on is actually pretty easy. Weiss, y' know how we have to focus our aura through our arms to use your glyphs?"

"Yes," Weiss answered, confused by the seemingly change of topic.

"Well, Ruby's power works kinda the same way," Blake and Weiss were surprised by that, but Yang just went on. "To use her speed, you have to focus your aura just like that, except not into your arms."

"Let me guess," Weiss piped up with a grin, the same one she had during her best classes. "We have to focus on our legs instead."

To her surprise, Yang shook her head. "Nope. I can see why you'd think that," Yang assured her with a grin. "But Ruby's not just moving her legs faster with her Semblance. It's her whole body. No, to move as fast as she does, Ruby has to focus her aura somewhere a little more centralized."

Blake furrowed her brow, not quite understanding.  _Centralized? What does she mean by…_  Her thoughts trailed off as an idea struck her, her ears perking up in realization. If Ruby wasn't focusing her aura on her limbs, then that only left…

Blake's eyes widened as she stared at Yang. Yang smiled at her, understanding the silent question. In answer, she lifted her hand and tapped her chest, just a little to the left.

Blake's pupils shrank. "Her heart?" she murmured in disbelief. Weiss looked to her in surprise, surprise which quickly turned to open-mouthed shock. "Ruby's focusing aura into her heart?"

Yang nodded with a grin. "Yep. Not quite sure how it works, but if Ruby pumps enough aura into her heart, it starts beating faster, jump-starting her Semblance. The faster she makes her heart beat, the more speed her Semblance puts out."

Weiss shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, staring off in the direction Ruby had run. "That sounds… dangerous."

Yang's grin lessened a bit as a sigh passed her lips. "Yeah… Ruby's Semblance had a lot of side effects, at least until she got a handle on it." She chuckled ruefully. "We, on the other hand, are going to have to deal with them if we want to get anywhere near her speed."

Blake swallowed nervously, her ears pinning back. "What kind of side effects are we talking about?"

Yang let out a beleaguered breath, her brows coming together as she thought hard. "It's not really something you can put into words." She hummed to herself, then nodded sharply. She met their eyes with a determined glint in her own. "Let's see if you two can turn it on first. You'll see what I mean yourselves."

Blake and Weiss shared a meaningful look, both more than a little nervous. Manipulating aura into a body part was a fairly common ability, one both of them needed to do to use their own Semblances. But to do it to their heart? It just seemed… risky.

After a moment's contemplation, Weiss bit her bottom lip and nodded to Blake. Blake returned the gesture. They'd agreed to train their Affinity as a team, and if this is what was required for Ruby's portion of it, they'd give it their best shot.

When they turned back to Yang,  _Determination_  radiating off them, the blonde clapped her hands together with a grin. "Okay, let's get started. "Like I said, it's pretty simple. Just start concentrating your aura into your heart. Remember though, you're not cycling your aura like we did with Weiss' Semblance. Think of your heart like… I don't know, a balloon or something. Focus your aura into your heart, and keep it there. Don't let it out."

Blake closed her eyes, taking a calming breath like Yang said. Unintentionally, she slipped into the blank void of their Link, seeing the wispy forms of Weiss and Yang's aura. She could feel Yang's patient curiosity and both Weiss'  _Determination_  and  _Uncertainty_. Off in the distance, a streak of red blurred through the darkness. Bubbly  _Happiness_  and  _Excitement_  tickled the back of Blake's mind, Ruby's feelings radiating out as she ran.

Blake held onto those feelings, using them to bolster her confidence. She focused inward, on the dark violet of her aura coursing through her body. Remembering what she needed to do, she tried visualizing her aura moving, converging at a single point within her chest.

She could feel it working, the left side of her chest becoming cooler as her aura pooled around her heart. But… she didn't feel any different. After a couple of minutes, all the while feeling Weiss' frustrations, Blake voiced her concerns. "Yang, I don't think its working."

"It takes a while the first time," Yang's reassuring voice came from Blake's left, suggesting she'd moved to stand between her and Weiss. "Just keep focusing. Listen to your heartbeat and picture it speeding up. You won't even realize it's working until it hits."

Blake gave a tiny nod, shifting her thoughts. She did as Yang said, picturing her aura entering her heart and staying there.

It was subtle at first. Her heart had already been going a little faster than normal just out of nerves, but then, she felt a twinge. Like her heart had skipped a beat. Slowly, she could feel her heartbeat increase. At first, she thought it was just from excitement, but then it kept climbing. Despite not moving, her heart was acting like she'd just run a marathon.

 _I… I think it's working,_  Blake thought to herself.  _This has to be what… what Yang… wait… what…?_

Something felt wrong. Her hands started shaking, her palms starting to sweat. A pounding started in her head, growing stronger by the second. A chill ran up her spine, spreading out until her whole body began to tremble. Her breath grew choppy and quick, and her chest  _hurt_.

And her heart kept beating faster and faster and faster  _still_.

" _Blake, Weiss!_ "

Something slammed hard into Blake's back, knocking out what little breath she had left. Her eyes flew open, her hands flying to her chest as her heart hammered away at ludicrous speeds.

She was dimly aware of someone rubbing soothing circles on her back, muttering words of encouragement.

"Hey, it's okay. You're both just fine. Just take long, deep breaths, okay?"

Blake slowly turned her head, taking deep shuddering breaths. Yang was the one at her side, rubbing circles just below her neck with one hand. Just on the blonde's other side, Weiss stared at Yang with wide, fearful eyes, her face white as a sheet.

"Y-Yang?" Weiss asked shakily. "W-w-what was…?"

"Okay, you both need to sit down before you fall over." Yang gently grasped them both by the shoulder and started to kneel. Neither girl was in much condition to resist, letting Yang guide them to the ground until they were all sitting side by side. Yang's hands never moved from their shoulders as she looked between them, worry plain on her face. "Are you two okay now?"

Blake had no idea. Her heart had slowed back down to somewhat normal, now just pounding away due to whatever the  _hell_  had just happened.

A sudden pressure on top of her head made Blake jump before she realized it was just Yang's hand. Nails gently scraped the base of her cat ears. Blake stiffened at the contact, but melted almost immediately, taking comfort in the slow scratches as her eyes slipped closed.

"Blake?"

Her amber eyes opened after a minute. She'd leaned further against Yang in her daze, and was reluctant to pull away. She swallowed thickly before she could talk, looking into lavender eyes. "I… I think so." Across from her, Weiss nodded weakly, the heiress hanging onto Yang's shoulder just as tightly, pink dusting her cheeks. Licking her dry lips, Blake asked, "What just happened?"

Yang let out a long sigh. "The side effect I mentioned. Let me guess: you both felt like your heart was trying to blast its way out of your chest? Cold sweat, clammy hands?"

Weiss shuddered. "Exactly." She looked to Yang, completely confused. "What did we do wrong?"

Yang managed a weak chuckle, pulling her two girlfriends a little closer to her chest. "That's the thing, Weiss. You didn't."

"What?"

"You did it perfectly, Weiss. Both of you did."

Despite still being rather pale, Weiss managed an impressive glare. "Yang there was nothing perfect about that! It felt like… it felt like I was having an anxiety attack!"

Blake nodded in agreement, leaning into Yang's shoulder. That was the best way she could describe it, too.

Yang met Weiss' glare with a sympathetic smile. "That's what I mean, Weiss." When Weiss just stared incredulously, Yang went on. "Look, even though it's what you need to make Ruby's Semblance work, the human heart isn't supposed to beat that fast. Your body thinks something is wrong with your heart, and so… well, you felt it!"

Weiss could only stare at her. "That… but that's… Yang, it didn't even work!"

At that, Yang's smile widened a bit. She arched an eyebrow. "Oh, no?" She then looked at the ground, grinning wryly.

Frowning, Blake and Weiss followed her gaze. Amber and blue eyes widened in shock.

Scattered on the ground around them, fluttering in the breeze, were dozens of white and  _black_  rose petals.

Hesitantly, Blake reached out, grasping a few of the delicate petals between her fingertips. She rolled them in her hand, feeling the familiar texture, before letting them settle in her palm. "I-it worked?" she breathed to herself.

Yang must have heard because she chuckled. "Yep. It was only for a second, but you both blurred in place and started shedding these off."

Weiss looked up from her own petals, her brow furrowed. "But… I didn't feel it. Just that…" She paused, eyes narrowing in realization. " _That's_  what her Semblance feels like?"

Yang nodded with a grim smile. "Yep."

"But…" Weiss looked from Yang to the petals, to Blake, and back again, trying to comprehend what Yang was getting at. "It feels so…  _wrong_."

Yang snorted. "Welcome to life with a physical Semblance. The human body is built to work a certain way, and when our Semblances try to push past its 'normal' limits, your body lets you know how unhappy it is." Before either of them could question how she knew that, Yang was already explaining. "Mine works kind of similarly, so it wasn't so bad for me to adjust."

Blake nodded slowly, trying to wrap her head around the concept. "But… Ruby makes her Semblance sound so…  _fun_. She's always so happy when she's running. If this is how she feels all the time…"

Yang cut her off with a shake of her head. "You're forgetting something. Ruby's had her Semblance for almost seven years now. She's so used to how her power feels that her heart doesn't freak out like yours did. It's just like, 'Oh, time for superspeed now!'" She bumped her shoulders against each of theirs, smirking a bit. "And she ain't wrong. I love my strength, but moving at Ruby's speed is one hell of a rush. Trust me, once you get used to the feeling and start running, you'll know exactly what I mean."

The three were silent after that. Blake didn't know how to feel, and judging from her pursed lips and clenched hands, neither did Weiss. "Does it get easier?" Blake asked eventually.

Pulling them both closer to her, Yang grinned. "Yeah, eventually. Like I said, Ruby doesn't get those feelings anymore. It'll just take time for your body to realize that there's nothing wrong when your heart beats that fast. We keep practicing, soon you won't even remember having problems."

Weiss bit her lip, glancing at Blake. They could all feel her  _Apprehension_. "I didn't think Ruby's Semblance was so… unnerving." She eyed Yang curiously. "You're sure we can push past these feelings?"

Yang rolled her eyes, smiling fondly. "Weiss, you know what Ruby is like,  _especially_  when she's running. You think she'd be a big, hyper ball of happy if her Semblance felt like  _that_  every time?"

Weiss frowned in thought. She looked to Blake, a silent question in her eyes that Blake quickly understood. She nodded in response. If Ruby could deal with these unnerving feelings and still be the bouncy, caring ray of sunshine they all loved, then they would find a way past them.

Weiss nodded back, and they both turned back to Yang. Taking a determined breath, Weiss said, "Let's try again."

Yang grinned, giving them both a tight squeeze. "Alright! You both know what you're in for now, so let's see how long you can hold it." She leapt to her feet, offering each of her hands to her girlfriends to help them up.

Once they were on their feet, Blake and Weiss shared one last look, their resolve reflected in each other's eyes.

_We can do this._

* * *

**Twenty Minutes Later…**

Ruby blasted through the forest, sending up a whirlwind of leaves wherever she went. She ran, she leapt, she flew through the air; every second she was moving was like a bolt of lightning through her body.

And she was loving every second of it.

 _I'm never staying still that long again!_  she thought merrily to herself as she ran headlong into the brush. With a super-powered twirl, Crescent Rose slashed, gleaming in the evening light as she reduced bushes and small trees to kindling. Bit by bit, Ruby carved a path through the Emerald Forest, making sure to mark a tree every dozen or so yards with a shallow cut of Crescent's blade.

She slowed slightly as she made her way back to Port's clearing. Once again, she was thankful for the Link she and her team shared. Knowing exactly where they were at a moment's thought was so much easier than having to check her scroll's map every two minutes. Plus, she didn't even have to stop to do it.

With one last bound, Ruby passed the very first tree she'd marked at the start of her run, signaling that she'd made a full loop around the forest. With a proud grin, she canceled out her Semblance, letting the air of her slipstream blast past in a satisfying gust. Slightly winded after such a long run, Ruby walked the rest of the way to the clearing, her smile fading a bit as she stepped out of the forest.

Yang stood with her back to her, arms crossed as she looked ahead, her new scroll held loosely in her hand. She glanced back, hearing Ruby's approach. She offered her sister a brief nod and a smile, before turning back. Ruby followed her gaze, her eyes widening at what met her.

Blake and Weiss stood side by side, eyes shut with their lips set in an uncomfortable frown. Their arms were limp at their sides, hands clenched into tight fists. Blake's ears were pinned back hard against her skull, clearly showing her distress.

Ruby noticed all that second, however. The first thing she saw was the glow around each of them, a slight blur around their forms like they were vibrating where they stood. Around Weiss was a glow of white light. Around Blake, a two-toned aura of black and violet. Black and white rose petals fell from their bodies every few seconds, drifting to the ground towards the pile around their ankles, replacing the ones that had already faded away.

Coming up to her sister's side, Ruby whispered, "How are they doing?"

Yang hummed, whispering back, "Not too bad, really. Blake can hold it for about a minute and a half. Weiss is having a harder time, about a minute at most." She glanced towards Ruby. "They got real freaked out the first time."

Ruby grimaced. "I know. I felt it." The force of their  _Shock_  and  _Fear_  had been enough to stop her in her tracks, staring off in their direction until she felt their emotions calm. Looking from her practicing Mates to Yang, she asked, "Do you think they'll be able to run today?"

Yang gave the monochrome pair an appraising look. "Maybe a bit. I don't know how they'll handle the rush, though."

Ruby nodded, watching the pair shake in place. "We'll have to ask them when they stop." She breathed deeply through her nose, calming herself.

With a sudden gasp, Weiss' eyes flew open. Her trembling hands flew to her chest as she sucked in deep, ragged breaths.

Yang unfolded her arms, tapping her scroll's screen. She smirked at what she saw. "A minute-five. Much better, Weiss."

Weiss could only nod dimly, too focused on breathing to respond. Ruby was at her side in an instant, placing one hand on Weiss' shoulder and the other over the heiress' clasped hands. "Are you okay, Weiss?"

Weiss blinked a few times, shaking away the fuzzy feeling in her skull. Once her vision cleared, she offered Ruby a warm, if strained smile. "I'm… I'm fine, Ruby." She huffed heavily, slowly regaining her breath. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she added, "When you talked about... your Semblance before… you left out… this part."

Ruby winced a bit, smiling guiltily. "It slipped my mind?" she offered weakly. "To be fair, it's a lot easier to hold when you're moving."

Weiss scrutinized her, then huffed a laugh. "Dolt." She breathed, leaning heavily into Ruby's arms.

A sharp intake next to them signaled Blake's release, the Faunus' ears shooting up as her eyes blinked open. Her legs wobbled beneath her, but Yang was already there to steady her, wrapping her arm under her partner's.

"Minute thirty-two," the blonde noted, turning her scroll off. She smiled proudly as she helped Blake get her feet back under her, aware of the hummingbird-like heartbeat slowing beneath Blake's skin. "Pretty darn good for day one."

Blake grinned back, breathing quickly through her nose. "Thanks," she panted. Her eyes drifted over to Ruby, her head tilting slightly. "So… what next?"

Ruby frowned, looking between her exhausted girlfriends. "Well…" she started awkwardly. "I was going to say we could try running… but maybe we should wait a day?" Concern radiated from her in waves, tinged with guilt. "You both look like you could use a rest."

Weiss gulped, trying to wet her dry mouth. She shook her head faintly. "Just give us a minute," she said firmly.

Blake nodded in agreement, making sure that Ruby met her eyes. "We can give it one try before the sun sets."

Ruby glanced upwards, taking in the orange tint of the evening sky. She looked between Blake and Weiss, still hesitant. "If you're both sure…"

With an exasperated huff, Weiss pushed lightly against Ruby, telling the girl to let her go. She straightened out her back, taking advantage of the full half-inch height difference between her and her partner to look down at her. The only thing betraying her apparent recovery was her heavier than normal breathing. "See?" She smirked, only the slightest strain in her voice. "Fine."

Ruby tilted her head a bit, not quite buying it. Blake decided to throw her opinion out, stepping away from Yang to stand next to Weiss. "We want to try, Ruby. At least once today."

Still unsure, Ruby shot Yang a look, asking for her help. Yang just shrugged, bobbing her head towards the path Ruby had come from. When Ruby met Blake and Weiss's eyes again, she couldn't miss the expectation shining there. Their emotions reached out to her,  _Determination, Excitement, Curiosity._  Ruby let out a sigh.

"...alright," she relented, flashing them both her usual grin. "We'll try for one lap through the forest, enough for you both to get a feel for how my speed feels when you're moving."

Blake and Weiss smiled back, shaking off the last bits of their unease as they mentally prepared themselves. "So, what do we do?" Weiss asked. "Is there another exercise we have to do before we start?"

Ruby giggled a little. "No, um… the only 'exercise' my Semblance needs is just learning how to turn it on. Once you activate my Semblance, every movement you'll make will be in superspeed. From there… you just run." She shrugged a little helplessly, her smile never leaving her face. "Get a feel for the… ' _feeling_ ' of it, I guess."

Weiss bit her lip. She'd been hoping for something a bit more in-depth than what sounded like just trial and error. But, when she thought about it… it did sound very 'Ruby'. She nodded with a smile, which Blake mirrored. "Okay, Ruby. We'll follow your lead."

Ruby beamed back. Now that it was a done deal, her worries were quickly being replaced with excitement. Ever since they'd discovered their Affinity, she'd been imagining running as fast as she could, her teammates right alongside her. Her Semblance was such a huge part of who and what she was… she wanted the others to know how it felt, to know that rush and share the experience. Looking towards the opposite end of the clearing, she called out, "Professor Port!"

Standing in front of one of the cages, Port raised his eyes from his scroll, not even acknowledge the burning gaze of the Nevermore across from him. The beast let out an echoing, annoyed squawk as the mustachioed man walked away from it. "Back from your run, Miss Rose?" he asked as he approached them.

"Only for a moment, sir," she chirped, bouncing from one foot to the other. "We're about to head out as a group."

"Hm…" The professor squinted up at the darkening sky. "A bit late, all things considered."

Ruby followed his gaze, then looked to her team. She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly as she admitted. "We won't be that long."

Blake and Weiss frowned at that, Weiss feeling a tad indignant. They may not be experienced with Ruby's Semblance yet, but she made it sound like she had no faith they would make the full lap.

Neither noticed Yang stifle a giggle behind them, a smirk playing on her lips as her eyes darted between the two.

Port gave Ruby a long look, then gave a stiff nod. "Very well. I only ask that you keep your scrolls at the ready. Should trouble arise, merely call for my assistance and I shall aid you forthwith!"

"Um…" Ruby paused as she processed that. "Will do, sir." She turned back to her team, eyes fixing on Blake and Weiss. "You two ready?"

They nodded back. "Whenever you are, Ruby," Blake said.

"Okay," Ruby replied with a smile. She pointed out into the forest, at a large oak with a gash carved into its side. "See that tree?" She waited for them to confirm. "I marked a path through the forest using marks like that. It's an easy curve that loops right back here. You two will follow me as I lead you down it. Yang will hang back, just in case one of you trips or something."

Blake swallowed nervously. She didn't like picturing what tripping would do at the speeds Ruby was capable of.

"So, that's it?" Weiss asked for clarification. "We just… run?"

Ruby grinned back, humor dancing in her eyes. "Mostly. Just turn on my speed and… try to keep up."

Was it just her, or did Weiss hear a challenge in Ruby's voice? She didn't even need the Link, the glint in Ruby's eye was answer enough. Lifting her chin a bit, Weiss replied, "Well, what are we waiting for?"

Ruby gave a smile that was just short of a smirk. With not even a blink, her form started blurring, a red haze forming around her edges. "On your marks," she goaded.

Behind them, Yang gave a brief chuckle, before she too started shaking and glowing. As the sisters looked on expectantly, Blake gave Weiss one last look. The heiress swallowed nervously, then nodded sharply. Blake breathed deeply, then focused.

The two watched as the other started shining their respective color, each trying to ignore the overwhelming panic their brains were screaming out. They looked to Ruby, nodding.

Ruby beamed, feeling even more hyped up than usual. "Okay, girls!" She whipped around, hunching slightly as she faced her self-made path. "On my mark… go!"

Port watched curiously as the familiar red streak shot off into the distance. He was nearly blown off his feet when black and white blurs blasted after it, a yellow streak hot on their heels. The wind of four speedsters taking off at the same time blew the autumn leaves off the nearest trees, leaving them completely bare.

As what looked like a contained whirlwind tore through the forest, Port could only look on with wide eyes. Soon, a wide grin appeared beneath his mustache. "Extraordinary!"


	9. Crash

 

Deep in the Emerald Forest, the serene calm of the silent woods was broken by a flock of crows taking off as one, cawing in panic as they fled from their roost. The source of their fear was a single Beowolf, sniffing around the base of the abandoned tree. It grunted in annoyance, finding nothing of interest. It lumbered away in its constant search for food, growling at nothing. Suddenly, it inhaled deeply. A familiar scent.

Human.

It growled deeply, sniffing the air as it followed the scent. It grew stronger and stronger, the beast now running through the underbrush, trails of black dripping from its mouth. Suddenly, it came across a disturbed bit of forest. Small trees and brush had been cleared away, leaving kindling scattered around. The human's scent was strongest here. The Beowolf looked around, searching for its new meal. It's molten eyes focused on a nearby tree, a long gash slashed into its side.

Just then, the beast heard the squawking of more birds. Turning its skull-like head towards the noise, it saw the black dots in the sky, as the disturbed birds rose into the air. Something felt off. It could feel it, something approaching. With a roar, it started running towards the birds, sure that it would find-

A bolt of red shot underneath the Beowolf. Black and white zipped around it on either side as a line appeared on its head, running perfectly up its snout and down its back. Black ichor flowed for just a moment when a yellow streak slammed into its nose. The Beowolf flew into the air, splitting perfectly down the middle as it gave a last startled roar. The two halves crashed into the nearby trees, dissolving away on contact.

Blake heard Yang let out a frenzied laugh behind her as they sped back up, the blonde no doubt sporting a grin fueled by thrill and adrenaline. Blake couldn't even begin to blame her, because she had the same crazy smile plastered on her face.

 _This… is… amazing!_  That was the only thought Blake could have because it was the only one that mattered.

It was unlike anything she'd experienced before. The whole world seemed to slow down, everything tinted violet around her as she  _ran_. Yet, she still knew she was moving at ludicrous speeds. Everything around her was slow and accelerated, stable yet manic. It was indescribable.

The feelings from before were still there. In fact, Blake felt they'd actually gotten worse. Her entire chest felt like someone was inflating a balloon within it, her heart moving at a speed she could only describe as 'hummingbird'. But, it didn't matter. Because, as Ruby lead them through the forest, speed picking up by the second, it started to feel like  _nothing_  mattered. Her worries, her fears, all the questions she'd had bouncing through her head for weeks; all gone. Just the ground beneath her feet, the torrent of blood rushing through her ears, and the whole world laid out before her.

She spared the quickest of glances towards Weiss, seeing that manic grin mirrored back at her. The heiress was blasting alongside her, white hair trailing behind her like a silver tail. The band that was always around her ponytail had disappeared, blown away forever ago by the sheer speed. Weiss either didn't notice or didn't care, just rushing along, an almost delirious laugh escaping her lips from time to time. On her Mark, Ruby's rose shone brightly against her pale skin.

Blake's few seconds of musing stopped dead as Ruby called out a warning. Blake didn't quite catch what she said but saw Ruby suddenly jump. Blake and Weiss did the same instantly, Blake just barely catching sight of a small stream below them. She sailed through the air, feeling weightless, before coming down far,  _far_  from where she'd leapt, her legs already moving when she hit the ground.

The slight loss of speed was quickly regained, Blake catching back up to Ruby in seconds. But… then she noticed something. When she reached Ruby… she had to slow down. Not much, since they were still screaming through the forest, but it was noticeable. She was holding back.

Blake shot Weiss a look, seeing that the heiress had noticed the same thing. Ruby was going slower than she was capable of. She could be going so much faster.

 _They_  could be going so much faster.

If possible, their grins grew even larger, both turning their attention forward as they eyed Ruby's back.

And the forest stretching on in front of them.

* * *

Ruby was having the time of her life. Between the rush of her speed and glee of having her girlfriends and sister at her side, she was in pure heaven. Every second, her feelings of  _Excitement, Delight_  and  _Contentment_  were reflected back at her four times over. Feeling their exhilaration, their sheer joy of seeing the world through her eyes, made her heart want to leap out of her chest for reasons beyond the usual.

From behind her, she felt something change in the air. The twin slipstreams at her sides drew closer,  _Mischievousness_  and _Eagerness_  tickling the back of her mind. A flash of  _Worry_  hit her from even further back, and Ruby's head dipped up in realization. The pieces came together quickly, her stomach dropping in the process.

_Oh, you two better not be-_

_**Whessssewwwww!** _

Sure enough, streaks of black and white zoomed past her on either side. She caught a split-second glimpse of Weiss' smug grin before she and Blake were blasting on ahead.

Ruby bit back a groan as she picked up speed. She'd been hoping they could avoid this…

A yellow flash to her right and Yang appeared right beside her, keeping pace as they ran. She and Ruby shared a quick look. Luckily, they'd planned for this.

* * *

**Earlier, RWBY Dorm**

" _You really think they'll lose themselves?"_

_Yang shrugged as she handed Ruby another carton of eggs from a pile on the counter. "I don't know, Rubes. But, I lost myself pretty quickly, and I had a pretty good idea of what I was in for. Not that much of a stretch to think the same could happen to them."_

_The younger sister shuffled around the quickly filling refrigerator, trying to find a place for all their newly acquired foodstuffs. "Yeah, but," she questioned, her head still in the fridge as she eyed the organized chaos. "Weiss already used my Semblance once with no problem. And Blake is a lot more level-headed than you. She can probably handle it."_

_Yang gave her a flat stare. "Okay, one: Thanks a lot, Sis." She rolled her eyes with a smirk as Ruby stuck her tongue out at her. It was all in good fun, Ruby didn't mean it. Yang continued, "Two, Weiss used your speed for all of a second, by accident. She didn't get the chance to feel it like I have. And let me tell you, Sis, I don't care how level-headed anyone is, moving at your speed is addicting as hell."_

_Ruby pouted at her, but couldn't deny the truth of it. When she started running, it did take a lot of concentration to bring herself to stop. Walking back to the bedroom together, Ruby asked, "Okay, but… do we have to just let them… crash?"_

_Yang hummed in thought as she looked around the room, trying to find the duffle bag Ruby had borrowed from Weiss the other day. When she found it under one of their shared desks, she responded, "It's how you learned. And it helped me out loads after it happened to me. They crash, they know what it feels like, and they learn what to watch out for next time."_

_Ruby still grimaced, not liking this one bit. It had been hard enough watching Yang suffer through a speed crash. The thought of both Blake and Weiss ending up the same way…?_

_Yang quickly felt Ruby's unease, clapping her hands over her sister's shoulders. "Hey," she said, drawing Ruby's attention to her soft smile. "It ain't like we're throwing them to the Grimm. We'll be right there with them the whole time. They go down, we'll be there to catch them."_

_Ruby sighed, making a small sound between a groan and a whimper. "Okay," she conceded. Before Yang could pull away, however, Ruby bit her lip. "Yang?"_

_Yang frowned at Ruby's small voice. "What?"_

" _...do you think they'll like my Semblance?"_

_Yang blinked. Then she snorted, laughing lightly. She ruffled Ruby's hair while pulling her in for a hug. "You're kidding, right? Sis, trust me. Crash or no, they're gonna have a blast."_

* * *

Ruby and Yang nodded to each other, then shot forward. They easily caught up to their girlfriends, even as the two continued to pick up speed. Weiss and Blake noticed this, both of them moving even faster so that each sister was behind their respective partner, they hurried to keep the pace.

 _Yeah, that's it,_  Ruby thought as the group blasted past one of her marked trees. Despite the situation, she couldn't stop the excited grin forming on her face. Not only was she running with someone else at high speeds, but she actually had to  _try_  to keep up with them.  _Go as fast as you guys want. We're right behind you._

Yang was having similar thoughts, though she couldn't help but fall prey to the rush herself.  _Just a little bit more and I could probably overtake all of them… wait, no, stop!_  She shook her head hard, fixing a hard stare on Blake's back.  _Remember, listen, look, breathe! I have to stay_ behind _Blake, not outrun her._  Her muscles screamed in protest, a feeling not unlike that of her own Semblance as she held herself back. She was capable of doing so much faster, using so much more energy.

Energy that really,  _really_  wanted to be let loose.

 _Gah!_  Yang grit her teeth in frustration.  _Holding back like this sucks! I need to challenge Ruby to a straight-up race later._

For a minute, the sisters just chased the monochrome pair through the forest, listening to their laughs and shrieks as they went. A pattern soon developed, where Weiss would pull just barely ahead, making Blake speed up, and the two continuing like that as they ratcheted up the speed.

They had just passed what Ruby recognized as the halfway point of her self-made racetrack when Ruby saw the first signs of trouble. For just a moment, the aura around Weiss shrank and flickered as she leapt over a fallen log. She landed shakily, losing ground, before blasting onwards again to regain speed. Now at the front of the pack, Blake let out a triumphant laugh.

"Bye, Weiss!"

Weiss growled under her breath, then cackled. "Don't get too comfortable up there!" she shouted, quickly catching up.

Ruby and Yang shot the same bemused smile to each other. Seeing Blake and Weiss, both usually so quiet and reserved, laughing and screaming as they chased each other through the forest, was new.

Ruby raised a brow at her sister, bobbing her head towards the two.  _Is this really what I act like?_

Catching her  _Curiosity_  and look of disbelief, Yang guessed what Ruby meant.  _Yeah, pretty much,_  she thought back with a smirk.

Ruby blinked at that, staring at the racing pair. Then she shrugged to herself, grinning.  _Well, at least I'm in good company now!_

Yang barked out a laugh

Again, they saw Weiss' aura flicker. The heiress gritted her teeth, sweat forming on her brow. Her legs were starting to hurt, as were her lungs. She didn't think much of it at first, thinking it was just tied to the ever-present pain in her chest. But, as they ran, she noticed something odd. The pain felt familiar like she'd felt it long before they'd started using Ruby's Semblance. Her lungs were burning, aching. Her head throbbed, growing worse by the second. It was almost like-

Weiss inhaled sharply.

Everything stopped. In an instant, the white haze around her vision vanished, the pain in her chest lifted, and the ground was suddenly rushing at her much,  _much_  too fast.

To the others, it was like Weiss had hit a brick wall. The moment the white aura around her vanished, all of Weiss' momentum stopped dead. If Ruby hadn't been right behind her, they all would have shot right by her.

As it was, Ruby dug her heels in just a second after Weiss stopped. She skidded forward, bending to the side as she threw her arms out. She grabbed Weiss, one arm around her shoulders with the other at her hip, catching her with her nose inches from the ground.

Blake looked back with wild eyes, giggling as she saw what happened. "Sorry, Weiss! Guess I win this-"

Blake felt a sharp pain in her toes. She gasped as the world dipped forward, and suddenly found herself tumbling across the ground, the impact softened by the body behind her.

She felt them skid across the ground, only to stop  _hard_.

"Gah! Damn, that hurts…" Yang winced as she tried to sit up. The tree she had collided with gave an ominous creak, a split in the bark running halfway up its trunk from the impact. Ignoring the pain, she looked down at the precious cargo she held tightly against her chest. "Blake? You okay?"

Amber eyes blinked blearily up at her, cat ears pinned down hard. Blake didn't know what was happening. The moment they stopped moving, it was as if all her energy ceased to be. Her arms didn't want to move, she could barely move her head, and everything,  _everything_ , hurt. "Ya… Y-Yang…?" Her voice came out in a shaky rasp.

"Hey… hey there, Kitty Cat." Yang pulled herself up, speaking in soft, soothing tones as she leaned heavily against the tree. "Feel a little tired?"

"I-I…" Blake tried to respond, to tell Yang just how much of a  _monumental_  understatement that was, but it was like her head was filled with cotton balls. Everything was fuzzy, her vision was blurry, and she was so  _tired_.

"Shh…" Yang shifted Blake in her arms, resting her partner's head on her shoulder. "It's okay. You're okay. Take a little nap if you need to. I'll be right here when you wake up." She gave Blake a small peck on the cheek. "I promise."

Blake tried to keep her eyes open, but she could feel how much of a losing battle it was. Yang's heartbeat was right next to her ears, beating fast and strong. The slowing rhythm was soothing, and Blake's eyes quickly slipped shut. Maybe sleep was a good idea…

After a few moments, Yang felt Blake relax fully. A soft purr built in the back of Blake's throat, something they'd all come to recognize as her snoring.

Yang allowed herself a brief moment of relief, only to bite back a sharp groan. Without Blake to distract her, all she could think about was her own exhaustion from the run, coupled with the sharp pain in her spine courtesy of an unusually sturdy oak. Leaning her head back against the bark, she reached behind her for the duffle bag, careful not to jostle Blake. She fumbled with the zipper, then rummaged blindly through it until her fingers grasped around the correct shape. She pulled out a chocolate bar, ripping the wrapper off with her teeth as she took a large bite out of it.

" _Yang!_ " Yang looked up at the whisper-yell, finding Ruby rushing towards her with Weiss bridal carried in her arms. " _Are you two okay?_ "

Yang managed a smirk, swallowing her mouthful of chocolate. "We're good. Blake just passed out, and I'm trying not to follow her." She bobbed her head towards the heiress. "Weiss?"

Ruby frowned in discomfort, kneeling to set Weiss next to Yang. "Out like a light. Do you think you can stand?"

Raising a brow, Yang looked down at her legs. At this point, they didn't even hurt; everything just felt numb. She managed to lift her right leg a few inches off the ground, only to let it fall back down with a groan. "Doubt it. Everything's all pins and needles."

Ruby whimpered but nodded all the same. "Okay. I'll call Port and have him help us back to the school." Cracking her scroll open, Ruby started doing just that.

As she took another bite from her chocolate bar, she looked between their sleeping girlfriends. She held back a sigh.

_Well… it could have gone worse._

* * *

**? ? ?**

_The forest was vast, endless. A world of nothing but the largest trees, the trunks so tall that the branches stretched up into pure darkness. She ran, scrambling over gnarled roots and cracked stones, towards the weak cries. She could hear something in the darkness, angry and roaring as it tore through the woods, searching for the same thing she was. To her left, a flash. In the hollow trunk of a dead tree, fearful amber eyes stared at her, their owner hidden from view in the shadows. She hunched low, keening in worry. She took a hesitant step forward, before whirling around as the trees behind her exploded._

_It was huge, snarling and snorting as it pawed the ground. Raging, molten red eyes glared down at her from behind its bleached-white skull of a head, long horns sharp and deadly. It roared in challenge, its eyes flicking towards the tree behind her. She growled in response, baring her teeth as her hackles rose. She knew she stood no chance; the beast was five times her size, its dark body rippling with muscle. It didn't matter, she would fight regardless. Because she was the only thing between it and-_

* * *

_**Clang!** _

Weiss jumped slightly, a metallic bang jolting her from her sleep. She blinked up at the familiar brown bottom of a bed, her vision fuzzy. She could hear someone's voice far off, complaining about a lack of space. Someone else, much closer, chuckled in response.

 _That dream again,_  she thought to herself as the world came into focus.  _That's the third time this… Oh, Dust…!_

Weiss squeezed her eyes shut, gritting her teeth in discomfort. It hit her all at once, a deep, endless pain that seemed to come from everywhere, but mostly her chest. She curled in on herself, dimly aware of the soft bed under her. She groaned as she buried her head into the pillow.

 _Wait…_  Weiss paused as she laid her head against something warm and soft. Whatever it was, it was trembling.  _That's not a pillow._

Fighting her pounding head, Weiss pulled back, cracking open an eye. Her vision was still blurry, but she could make out a head of long black hair, pointed cat ears poking out of the hairline. The trembling now made sense, soft purrs emanating from the person's throat.

Weiss smiled briefly, only to grimace as a jolt of pain ran through her, from her brain right down to her tailbone. With a small whine, she ducked her head into Blake's neck, in a vain attempt to ignore the pain. She felt so  _tired_.

"Hmm…" Blake's purrs were interrupted by her sudden groaning. Her amber eyes blinked open, only to immediately slam shut. She whimpered, one hand flying to her forehead, only to fall limply to her side as she hissed in pain. "D-damn…" she cursed. Her voice was barely more than a breath.

"Blake?" Weiss whispered against Blake's neck, unwilling to move. Her cheeks pinked a bit, but she ignored it. Her sense of embarrassment was completely overshadowed by her desire for the pain to just  _go away_.

Blake blinked weakly. She caught a glimpse of white hair, which was all she needed to know about the person she had accidentally draped her arm over. She gave a shaky smile. "Hey."

Weiss managed a small grin in return. "Hi." She groaned as she felt a sharp twinge in her leg. "You okay?"

Blake hummed lightly, trying to keep her eyes open. "No…" she admitted, using her limited strength to hug Weiss against her. "Everything hurts and my head is killing me."

Weiss nodded against Blake's skin. "Same," she murmured, wrapping her arms around Blake's middle. Her narrowed gaze looked back up at the bed above, Yang's, she guessed, given the lack of haphazardly tied ropes. "How did we get back to our dorm? The last thing I remember was…" She had to pause to think because her head was a complete mess at the moment. She latched onto the first thing that felt right. "...running."

"Honestly," Blake murmured. "I think a better question is… what is that sweet smell?"

Weiss frowned in confusion, then took a sniff of the air. Sure enough, now that she was paying attention, there was a faint, familiar smell in the air. Weiss knew it from somewhere, but couldn't quite place it…

"Weiss?" Blue eyes cracked back open (had she fallen asleep again?) when a light whisper sounded above them. "Blake? I thought I heard you talking. Are you awake yet?"

With what little strength she had, Weiss managed to turn her head towards the foot of the bed. Yang was looking down at them, changed into her sleep clothes. She was leaning heavily against the banister of their makeshift bunk beds, as her legs dangled limply over the bed's edge. She was blinking rapidly, her eyes slightly unfocused. "Yang?"

"Oh, good," Yang breathed a laugh. "I thought I dozed off again."

Weiss tried to sit up but was stopped when Yang put a hand on her thigh. "Hey, don't even try it, Snowflake. All you're gonna do is fall out of bed." She smirked slightly. "Trust me, I know."

Weiss pouted, but let herself fall back down. She felt Blake cling tighter to her and offered a quick ear scratch in return. "What happened?" she asked Yang.

Yang chuckled. "You crashed."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "I assumed as much. How, though?"

"Well, first you both decided to try and leave Ruby and me in the dust." Yang shifted her weight from the banister, laying down the width of the bed so she could stare up at the ceiling. "Then, things went wrong. Weiss, you did the same thing I did on my first run. You got so caught up in the speed and rush that you forgot to keep breathing. Semblance cut off as soon as you ran out of air."

Weiss winced.  _Now_  it was coming back to her.

"Blake, well…" She offered a shrug to the Faunus, smiling in sympathy. "Nothing too spectacular. You tripped on a tree root. Took a high-speed tumble."

Blake groaned. "So  _that's_  why my side aches."

Yang chuckled, giving them each a small pat on the leg. "Hey, all in all, you two did great today. We keep practicing, and we'll all be keeping up with Ruby in no time."

A small smile played on Weiss' lips at the thought. The memories were a bit murky, but she remembered enough to know she liked it. Even if it was only for a few minutes, she'd seen the world through Ruby's eyes, felt that rush she was always going on about. Even now, with her whole body feeling like a numb lump of gelatin, she still felt a desire to get back up and  _run_.

She was pulled from her musings when Blake asked, "Where is Ruby?"

Weiss blinked. Looking around the room, she realized Blake was right. Their resident speedster was nowhere to be found. And, oddly, that sweet smell had grown stronger in the last couple minutes.

Yang grinned at her. "Rubes is working on getting us back on our feet."

Blake tilted her head in confusion, one of her cat ears being smooshed against her pillow in the process.

Rather than respond, Yang instead turned her head forward and shouted to the room at large. "Ruby! Blake and Weiss are awake!"

" _Good!_ " Weiss tried to follow the voice that seemed to come from nowhere. Her eyes landed at her and Ruby's side of the room, noticing that the door to their sitting room was open. " _I'll be there in a second! The last batch is almost done!_ "

Weiss tilted her head in confusion.  _Last batch?_  Then it clicked, the sweet smell wafting through the room making a bit more sense.  _Ruby's cooking something?_

Yang smirked as she shouted, "Just try not to drop another tray!"

They all heard Ruby huff. " _It's not my fault they made this kitchen so small!_ "

Yang chuckled in response. She tried to pull herself back up to sit but stopped when she arched her back, hissing lightly.

"Yang?" Blake asked in worry. Despite Yang's earlier protest, she managed to pull herself up a bit, letting her shoulders lean against the headboard.

Yang waved her off, even as she forced herself up to sit cross-legged. "It's nothing. Just… ugh, you two ain't the only ones who're exhausted."

Blake frowned, about to say something, when her cat ears perked up a bit. She turned towards the other room just as Ruby stepped through. Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Ruby, what is… where did you get that many cookies?"

Weiss blinked along with her. In Ruby's arms was a positively giant glass jar, filled to the brim with chocolate chip cookies. Balanced precariously on top of the jar was a tray of four empty glasses, along with a full jug of milk.

Ruby grinned towards them, even as she shifted the weight in her arms. "I made them! Fresh from the oven."

Despite every part of her protesting, Weiss pushed herself up on her elbows, eyeing Ruby's oversized load warily. "Do you need help with that, Ruby?"

"I got it!" Ruby assured as she walked across the room. "I'm good!" She set the jar on the bedside table very carefully, her arm blurring as one of the glasses fumbled from its precarious perch. With a satisfied nod, she went about filling the glass. "Anyone hungry?"

Weiss was confused for all of a moment before the smell of fresh-baked cookies hit her up close. A loud growl came from her stomach, much to her pink-faced embarrassment.

Yang snickered. "I'll second that, Weiss." She reached across the bed, towards the jar… only to yelp when Ruby swatted her hand away.

" _You_  already ate half a bowl of cookie dough." Ruby glared, poking a stern finger at Yang's nose.

The blonde merely huffed, crossing her arms. "Like you wouldn't do the same thing…" she muttered under her breath.

Blake giggled as Yang pouted, taking a few cookies when Ruby offered her the jar. "Not that I'm complaining, but what's the occasion, Ruby?"

Ruby just smiled and shrugged as she offered the jar to Weiss. "After you two crashed, me and Yang figured you guys could use a pick-me-up." Her brows pinched together as her smile faded. "How are you two feeling?"

Weiss took a bite of her cookie (marveling at the taste. She knew from the girl herself that Ruby could bake, but she didn't think she could bake  _this_  good), then groaned at the reminder, fighting the urge to flop back down on the bed. "Completely spent." Blake nodded in agreement, mouth full.

Ruby giggled lightly, handing Blake a full glass of milk. "Yeah… sorry about that. Using my Semblance for as long as you two did burns a lot of energy. Have another cookie. The sugar will help."

Weiss pondered that for a moment. True, she did feel a little less tired after eating a few of the sweet treats. Her eyes suddenly widened, having realized what Ruby's words implied. "Wait… is  _that_  why you're always eating sweets? To…  _recharge_  your Semblance?"

Ruby bobbed her head side to side, making a noncommittal noise in the back of her throat. "Kinda-sorta. The extra sugar  _does_  give my Semblance something to burn off before it starts tiring me. But… I also just really like sweets," she admitted, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly.

Weiss rolled her eyes. Of  _course,_  that would be Ruby's answer. She munched on another cookie as she watched Ruby finally hand the jar over to an overly-sullen Yang, smiling expectantly. The blonde gave her a mock glare, which quickly morphed into her usual half-smile, reaching up to ruffle her sister's hair. Weiss smiled at the sister's actions, but her mirth lessened when she noticed something odd. While her team happily enjoyed the fruits of her labor, splayed out on the bed, Ruby remained standing. It took her a second to realize why: with the way she and Blake were laying, along with Yang taking up the foot of the bed, there wasn't a lot of room left.

Weiss frowned. That wasn't right.

With a grunt, the heiress pulled her legs in and up, leaving a spot just big enough for a person to sit down. Looking a little surprised, Ruby gave Weiss a tender smile, taking her new spot, Yang and Blake scooting over as much as they could to give her more room. With Weiss' legs now draped over her lap, Ruby took the jar when Yang handed it to her.

"We need to figure something out about this pretty soon," the blonde said with a full mouth, voicing what they were all thinking. "These beds are too small for all four of us. One of us is going to fall out of bed pretty soon."

Solemn nods were her answer. If all of them lay on their sides, the bed was  _just_  big enough to fit all four of them, but it left little room to move around. As nice as it was being all together, it just wasn't that comfortable. For the last few days, they'd each either slept in their own beds or paired up with their partners. It made sense, but every morning they each woke up feeling that something was missing.

Weiss bit her lip. Now that Yang had brought it up, now would be the best time to mention her bit of window shopping earlier in the day…  _No, no… I want it to be a surprise. I just have to clear it with Professor Goodwitch first… and maybe let Ruby know._

Instead, Weiss took a look around the room. Her eyes landed on the wall clock, and she blinked in surprise. "Is it really nine o'clock?"

Yang let out a chuckle. "Yeah. You two were out for a while. Anyone have some ideas, or should we just turn in for the night?"

Ruby pouted, taking a sharp bite of her cookie. "I'm not tired."

Blake nodded in agreement. "Same. Just… kind of sore now." She rubbed at her leg, trying to remove the dull numbness she felt.

Weiss thought for a moment. "We could watch a movie," she suggested. Hesitantly, she added. "We haven't done that since…" She gestured awkwardly to her neck.

They all perked up at that. Yang and Ruby shared a look, then smiled towards Blake. After a moment's thought, Blake nodded back. "That actually sounds really nice."

Ruby gave a cheer. "Great! Oh, we need more pillows!" She instantly jumped off the bed, grabbing every pillow she could get her hands on.

"I'll help, Sis." Yang reached up to her bunk, grabbing her pillows and pulling down her blankets for good measure. "Blake, isn't it your turn to pick a movie this time? Go ahead."

"Just no romances again. Please?" Ruby whined.

As Blake pulled out her scroll to search, Weiss leaned over, whispering loudly. "And no cheesy action flicks this time?" Blake stifled a laugh, which only grew stronger when Ruby blew a raspberry at them.

As Yang and Ruby shuffled around the room, grabbing pillows and blankets, Weiss lay back down for the moment, staring up at the ceiling. She was once again hit by the insanity of her life, loving and being loved by three very different but wonderful girls. She resigned herself to knowing that their relationship would never stop feeling weird, that normalcy was forever going to be a foreign concept to her. But, as she felt Blake curl up next to her, listening to her purr and Yang and Ruby bicker over which movie  _they_  thought they should watch, she couldn't bring herself to care. It felt weird, but it also felt… right.

That wasn't even factoring in their new abilities. She was quickly becoming like Ruby and Yang, her mind racing at all the possibilities that their Affinity could give them. Like Yang said, they just had to keep practicing, not just with speed, but with her glyphs and Yang's strength and… whatever Blake could do ( _I'm asking her about that tomorrow,_  she thought). She just hoped that the next time they crashed wouldn't feel so…

Weiss blinked. Then she groaned loudly.

Blake's purrs lessened as she lifted her head, looking up from her scroll. "What?"

Weiss turned to Blake, her blue eyes full of disbelief and annoyance. "Yang said we 'crashed', right?"

Blake frowned in confusion. "Yes. Why?"

Weiss banged her head against the soft bed, reluctant to respond.  _I can't believe it took me this long…_  With a heavy sigh, she opened her eyes, glaring at the ceiling. "Remember what she said in the forest? She was going to give us a ' _crash_  course'?"

Blake blinked. Then she rolled her eyes, groaning as she let herself fall, pulling the pillow over her head to muffle her reluctant giggles.

Across the room, Yang couldn't stop laughing.

* * *

As Team RWBY settled in for the night, the rest of the school did the same. All across the campus, windows went dark, and the numerous lampposts throughout the grounds flickered off, only a sparse few remaining to light the main paths. Within the hour, everyone, students and faculty alike, were inside the school, leaving the grounds empty.

Almost.

On the building directly across from Team RWBY's dorm, a lone figure knelt at the edge of the roof. Clad in black and white, the moonlight glinted off the porcelain mask set beside him, replaced in favor of a pair of binoculars. A pair of large, wrinkled bat ears poked through his hood.

The bat Faunus scanned the darkened windows, searching for the proper one. This was the third building he'd looked at that night, and he was growing frustrated. His eyes caught a slight flicker in one of the windows, and he zeroed in on it. The blue tinge of a scroll projection lit the room, making it easier to see…

His shoulders tensed instantly. He grit his teeth, growling. "There you are, you little traitor." He pressed his finger to a small device hanging from his human ear, hearing the slight crackle as it came to life. "I found her, sir."

A deep, low voice answered instantly. " _Is she alone?_ "

"No, sir. She's… she's  _in bed_  with the Schnee, along with two other girls."

The bat Faunus flinched as an enraged growl came from his earpiece. The growl cut off abruptly, Taurus taking a calming breath. " _Can you confirm if she's Mated?_ "

"Yes, sir. I can feel it from here." He waited, making sure there wouldn't be another outburst, before asking, "What do you want me to do, sir?"

" _...nothing, for now. Return to base. I already have someone coming in from Menagerie who will deal with her. In fact…_ " Taurus chuckled darkly. " _This information might motivate her towards acting… swiftly._ "

"Understood, sir. I'm heading back n-"

_CAW!_

The bat Faunus flinched as the night's silence was broken by a deep, echoing cry. Looking towards the noise, he found a large black bird peering at him from the lip of the building, just a few feet away. The Faunus rolled his eyes at his jumpiness.

" _Something wrong?_ "

"No, sir. Just some stupid bird. I'll be back at base within the hour." Hearing the connection click off, he reached for his mask-

_CAW!_

With a groan, the Faunus went to shoo the bird away… only to jump when he found it inches from his face, perched atop his mask.

"Hey!" he whisper-shouted. "Get off of-"

_**CAW!** _

The Faunus' words caught in his throat. Somehow… that last one sounded louder than the others. Angrier. He looked warily at the bird as it glared up at him with beady black…

No...beady  _red_  eyes.

A chill ran up the bat Faunus' spine. Something was very,  _very_  wrong with this bird.

"You know what?" He jumped to his feet, backing away with his hands up. "Keep it. I'll get a new one." The bird's burning red eyes never left him as he stepped back once, twice, then sprinted towards the opposite side of the roof. With a quick leap over the side, he was gone.

The bird stared after him for a moment, as if making sure he was truly gone. When there was no sign of him coming back, the bird flapped its wings and took flight. It glided the short distance from building to building, perching itself on a tree right in front of Team RWBY's window, hidden from view behind the trunk. There was an odd reverberating sound, and the bird's form blurred, shifted, and grew.

Where the bird once sat, a woman now stood, balancing on the narrow tree branches. She was clad in a loose black jacket and skirt, over which she wore red armor, an oversized scabbard on her hip. Her long black hair was pulled back by the hard curves of an intricate white and red mask, carved in the visage of a Nevermore.

Placing a hand to steady herself, the woman leaned around the tree trunk, red eyes peering through the narrow slits of her mask. She squinted to make out the people in the dark room.

The four girls lay curled up against the headboard of Blakes' bed, which had been padded up with several pillows. Yang sat sandwiched between Blake and Weiss, her arms up over their shoulders as they leaned into her. Ruby lay between her legs, content to use Yang's chest as a pillow. Every now and then, one of the girls would reach for the cookie jar in Ruby's lap, the younger girl offering it to them without taking her eyes from the movie playing on the wall.

The woman watched them, taking in the peaceful scene. Yang suddenly looked at Blake out of the corner of her eye, getting a mischievous look on her face. While the Faunus was distracted by something on-screen, Yang leaned over and nibbled on her human ear. Blake let out a startled yelp, making Yang laugh. Blake swatted her on the arm in reprimand, turning back to the film with pink cheeks and a small smile.

The woman blinked at the interaction. She noted how close Yang held both girls, the subtle way that Weiss' leg was draped over both Yang's and Ruby's. Weiss leaned her head on Yang's shoulder, even as her hand found Ruby's, the young leader holding it firmly.

For a moment, the woman just watched them. Beneath the faceplate of her mask, her lips curved slightly, forming a fond, almost proud smile.

A sudden buzzing against her leg shattered all sense of peace she had. She scowled down at her leg, at the scroll in her pocket. She gave the content teens one last look, before leaping down from the tree, leaving them none the wiser.

Scanning the grounds to make sure she was alone, the woman pulled out her scroll. It was an older model, scratched and dented from years of use. She pulled it open, scowling at the unfamiliar number. With a slight growl, she answered the call.

"How did…" Her words trailed off the instant she saw who was on screen, her eyes widening in disbelief. " _Roman?_ "


	10. Rekindle

 

**Downtown Vale, Roman's Safehouse**

"You want  _how_  many guns?!"

Neo watched from the couch as Roman paced around the living room, yelling into his scroll. It was a rare instance where he wasn't in his full suit, decked out solely in his black shirt and slacks. He'd yet to replace his missing bowler hat and ruined jacket, deciding to lay low after the whole Paladin fiasco had ended with his name plastered all over the city.

Somehow (he'd wager a solid bet on Little Red and her freak parade ratting him out), the Atlassian Military knew that he was the one who'd gone on a rampage down the westbound highway. According to the news, despite throwing cars around like freaking children's toys, bizarrely no one had died, so he didn't have any murder charges headed his way. But given the numerous broken bones, major concussions, one unlucky bastard in a coma, and  _two miles of wrecked freeway_ , Roman felt that staying the hell away from anything resembling the public was an even better idea than normal.

So, he'd spent the last few days relaxing (i.e., recovering) in his safehouse. Aside from Cinder calling to scream at him, he'd had all the time in the world to just kick back, lie down…

...and try to figure out what the  _hell_  he was going to do about his newly discovered… conflict of interest.

Not that Neo knew what that  _was_. Sticking around just in case a bunch of cops busted through the door, she had spent the better part of three days binge-watching TV, listening to Roman muttering as he putted around the apartment, eyes always glued to his scroll. Anytime she shot him a questioning look, he'd just wave her off, saying it was ' _personal_ '. Whatever that meant.

At least, that's what he  _had_  been doing. Then Taurus called out of the blue and had managed to make Roman both pissed off and freaked out in a nanosecond.

"What do you even  _need_  that many guns for, we have hundreds of 'em! ...what do you mean you can't use them, we have a warehouse full of 'em!"

Neo strained her ears, trying to hear what Taurus was saying. To her annoyance, the White Fang leader was keeping his tone calm and quiet.

Neo cocked her head when Roman suddenly laughed lowly, grinning smugly. "Oh… Matchstick finally pulled your leash, didn't she?"

Once again, Neo had to question Roman's sanity. Cinder and Taurus were two of the most dangerous people she'd ever met, and she was convinced that neither of them were all there. Yet, time and time again, Roman antagonized both of them at every chance he got. He either had a death wish, or he was just as crazy as they were.

Whatever Taurus said in response, despite being just as quiet as before, it quickly wiped away Roman's mirth, replacing it with uncomfortable worry. He covered his face with his hand, groaning. "Look, Bully Boy, you can't just spring this on me on such short notice. I'm good, but I'm not a miracle worker."

Taurus said something else, making Roman throw his hands up in exasperation. "It doesn't  _matter_  how much money you can pay me, I can't just pull eighty machine guns out of my ass!" He paused, listening to Taurus. His face slacked, looking rather stunned. "That's a lot of money." He looked thoughtful for a moment, then shook his head violently. "No! No, I… ugh… look, I'll get back to you, alright? ...yeah, next week, I get it, just… whatever, bye!"

Roman clicked his scroll off, then just stared at it for a moment. Letting out a frustrated growl, he flopped down on the sagging couch, leaning his head back as he threw an arm over his eyes.

Neo eyed him curiously. What he'd said made no sense. She knew off the top of her head at least three places she could steal twice that amount of guns. Heck, for one of them, Roman wouldn't even need her help, he could do it himself. Why make it sound like it was so hard to do?

"... _of course that's what he wants, what else could it be but…_ "

Neo raised a brow. Roman was grumbling under his breath again like he always did when he was agitated. Trying not to be too obvious, she tried to listen in.

"... _gotta be going after Kitty-Cat… but then, Little Red and Sunshine will show up, and Taurus will go after them… but, Matchstick is already gunning for them, so they're already screwed… aw, Dust dammit,_ WHAT THE HELL DO I DO?"

Neo jumped as Roman suddenly slammed his fist down on the armrest of the couch. He breathed heavily through his nose, glaring up at the ceiling so hard, Neo was surprised it didn't burst into flames.

Hesitantly, she leaned over and poked him in the shoulder. He looked over at her, his green eyes smoldering in anger. She gave him her best 'what-the-heck?' expression.

He held her stare, then let out a deep sigh, like he was exhausted. "Trust me, Neo, it's  _beyond_  complicated. But the short and vague of it?" He waited for her to roll her eyes, glaring 'go on!'. He turned back towards the ceiling. "I think I'm growing back the one thing I  _really_  do not need right now." Roman scoffed to himself, shaking his head slightly in disbelief. "A conscience."

Neo's eyes widened, incredulous. It was one of the few moments she wished she could talk, wanting to get in his face and say, "After all the things I  _know_  you've done,  _now_  you grow a conscience? Over what?!"

Roman either didn't see or didn't care about any of this, just staring at the ceiling. Then, with a disgusted groan, he pushed himself off the couch. He walked over to the window, staring out at the Vale skyline. Shifting his eyes a bit, he could just see the edge of Beacon Academy.

Neo watched him from the couch. Then, at the edge of her hearing, she could just hear him mutter,

"... _dammit, Sis…"_

Confused (she'd heard Roman use a lot of nicknames, but never that one), Neo frowned as he turned around and lifted his scroll back up. Leaning against the windowsill, he flipped his thumb across its surface a few times. Then he just stared at it intently, his brow furrowed in apprehension. With a huff, he scowled up at the ceiling, as if the heavens themselves had offended him.

" _I can't believe I'm doing this…_  Neo."

Unprepared, Neo flinched as Roman's green eyes bored into her. 'What?', she asked with a tilt of her head.

Roman pointed at her like he was giving an order. "Don't distract me during this."

Neo glowered at him. He did  _not_  just say that to her.

Again, Roman either didn't notice or didn't care. He looked back down at his scroll like it was an active bomb. With a heavy sigh, he tapped the screen, then pulled it apart, widening it for video.

Through the translucent blue screen, Neo could see the cursor spinning, trying to connect Roman's mystery call. She narrowed her eyes at it. Something was going on here besides the usual business, and she was getting sick of Roman keeping her in the dark. He told her not to 'distract' him but didn't say anything about listening in.

After ten seconds passed, Roman groaned, glaring at the screen. "The hell did I expect?" he grumbled to himself angrily. "Like she'd keep the same number after seven-"

_DING!_

At the sudden tone, Roman stared dumbly as the words 'CONNECTION ESTABLISHED' blinked across the screen.

"Holy shit…" he breathed.

The blank screen blinked to life, and Neo could see… she wasn't quite sure what, to be honest. Through the reversed, blue-tinted view she had, she thought she could see someone in a mask. She thought it was a White Fang member at first, but she didn't recognize the design.

" _How did-_ " A rough, female voice came across the screen, sounding seven different kinds of angry. The woman cut herself off suddenly, Neo thinking she could just barely see her red eyes widen through the mask's eye slits. Her voice lowered to a stunned whisper. " _Roman?_ "

Roman, who had been staring incredulously at the screen after it had opened, suddenly broke out into the widest, most honest smile Neo had ever seen from him. It disappeared in an instant, replaced by his normal smarmy grin, but Neo knew what she'd seen. Not that it made any sense. "Yes, I'm sorry. I'm trying to reach tall, dark, and ill-tempered. Could you please direct me?"

This was apparently the wrong thing to say. Whatever shock Neo could see through the woman's mask vanished in an instant. Her red eyes narrowed, a sharp breath of disbelief sounding across the connection. " _Seven years, and that's the first thing you say?_ "

Roman shrugged, not caring about her anger in the slightest. "Oh, I can think of a few other things, but that seemed the one least likely to make you kill me."

The woman scoffed. " _What do you want, Roman?_ "

Roman adopted a fake look of confusion. "What, I'm not allowed to call a friend now and then?"

A flat look was her response.

Roman held her stare for a moment before, to Neo's surprise, his smirk fell away. He rolled his eyes and huffed. "Look, I need a few things clarified and… _maybe_  I need some advice." He looked slightly ill at the end of his sentence like the words had left a bad taste in his mouth.

The woman gave a startled, disbelieving laugh, which she cut off almost instantly. "You  _need help? From me? Now?_ "

Roman scowled at her, growling. "Well, considering the subject matter, my only other options were Musclehead and Bird Brain. Considering how well things went  _last_  time I talked to them, you seemed like my best option."

The woman paused, eyes suddenly wary. " _What are you talking about?_ "

His scowl faded in favor of an annoyed glower. "I'm talking about the mini Summer and blonde  _you_  I keep running into."

Red eyes widened. The woman quickly turned away from the screen, looking up and behind herself. " _You've seen Yang and Ruby?_ " she hissed.

Roman couldn't help but scoff. " _Seen_ ," he muttered humorously. "Yeah, you could say I've 'seen' them. Unless someone cloned you both. Or they're both robots." His eyes suddenly lit up with almost manic hope. "Are they robots? Please tell me they're robots. That would make everything  _so_  much easier."

The woman just stared for a moment. Neo couldn't tell what she was thinking behind that mask, but she seemed agitated. Not that unusual for someone talking with Roman, but it didn't seem to stem from anger or annoyance so much as worry.

Suddenly the woman's eyes narrowed. " _Are you alone?_ " she asked forcefully.

Roman blinked. He glanced up from the screen, green eyes meeting Neo's mismatched pink and brown. "Nooo…" Roman said slowly, looking back down at his scroll. "There's one person with me."

Red eyes narrowed further. " _How trustworthy are they?_ "

Roman gave Neo another look. He moved his shoulders side to side as if weighing his options. "Honestly?" With a shrug and a sigh, he turned away from Neo, pointedly avoiding her eyes. "At this point, she's the only person I trust right now."

Neo's brow shot high, her spine straightening in surprise. This was news to her. As far as she knew, Roman didn't trust anyone, not even the guys who worked for him.

The woman didn't seem convinced, her voice lowering. " _But can_ I _trust her?_ "

"What?" Roman asked with a smug grin. "You don't believe me?"

" _No,_ " came the blunt answer.

Roman pouted at the screen, then smirked. He looked back towards Neo and winked. When he turned back to his scroll, Roman's smile was almost  _too_  wide. "Cross my heart, I swear she won't say a word."

Neo gave him her darkest 'you-did- _not_ -just-say-that' look.

"... _fine,_ " the woman said after a moment, apparently accepting Roman's word ( _She must not know him that well then,_  Neo thought idly). " _I'll be there in a second._ "

Roman blinked. "Wait, what?" His eyes bugged out when his scroll went dark, showing only a blank screen, save the words 'CONNECTION LOST' flashing in the corner. "Rea?" he questioned uselessly.

Neo tilted her head at him, just as confused. The mystery woman made it sound like she was coming to them. But, how? Roman didn't tell her where they were.

Roman squinted at the screen. "The hell's she mean she'll be here in…" His face suddenly went slack in realization, paling. "Oh, is she gonna-Gah!"

_**Wa-wumpwumpwump…** _

Roman fell back in fright as what looked like an angry red storm cloud formed in front of him.

Every hair on Neo's head stood up as her instincts told her to move. What felt like an electric charge passed through the room, and the cloud, which had now spread out and turned flat, continued to make the most unreal noise she'd ever heard. In a flash, she shot to her feet, parasol in a death grip as she backpedaled away from the Hellmouth in front of her.

As easy as walking through a door, the same woman Roman had been talking to stepped out of the cloud. Once she was out, the cloud-portal-whatever snapped closed with an audible crack.

The woman's eyes scanned the room, looking for anything out of the ordinary. To the dismay of Neo's pounding heart, red eyes locked onto her almost instantly. A chill ran up her spine as the woman rested her hand over the gigantic scabbard on her hip.

One of the things Neo prided herself on, and something Roman was always eager to exploit, was her ability to size up an opponent. No matter the situation, all it took was a quick look over someone for her to know how a fight would go. Whether it would be no effort, a hard-fought victory, or if she'd need to regroup.

As this woman in black and red armor stared her down, red eyes seeming to burn right through to her very soul, Neo's senses all said the same thing:  _run_. She wanted to shatter and flee, as far as she could go, because fighting this woman would be her worst,  _last_  mistake.

"Ugh…"

The one-sided staredown was broken, mercifully, by Roman's groan as he pushed himself to his feet. The woman's gaze slowly shifted towards him, and Neo breathed a silent gasp of relief. Taking the distraction, she bolted into the kitchenette, peeking over the counter as Roman turned.

"Jeez…" he muttered as he dusted off his pants. "I forgot just how creepy those things were." He looked up, green eyes meeting red for the first time since the woman's arrival. To Neo's dismay, he smirked. "Raven," he greeted, his tone much too relaxed for Neo's liking. "Long time, no see."

"Roman." The newly dubbed Raven looked the conman up and down, eyes trailing over his bandaged arm and scabbed forehead. The corners of her eyes crinkled in what Neo guessed was a grin. "You look like crap."

Roman chuckled, much to Neo's surprise. "Yeah, well… that tends to happen when a mech starts blowing up around you."

Raven nodded, a smirk in her voice. "I heard about that. Surprised me a bit, to be honest. Last I heard, you liked to stay out of sight."

Roman's smirk changed to a scowl. "Didn't exactly plan on getting my face plastered on the evening news." Then he gave her a confused look. "Surprised you didn't already hunt me down once you heard."

Raven tilted her head slightly. "Why would I do that? You made it fairly clear last time you didn't want our help anymore."

Roman's brow shot up, confusion evident. He opened his mouth, only to immediately snap it shut. His eyes trailed up to the ceiling, both nervous and contemplative as he slowly paced back and forth across the tiny living room. "Okay, so you don't know  _everything_. That, um… huh. Not sure if that complicates things or not."

" _Roman_ …" Raven said in a warning tone. "Start making sense. Now."

With a groan, Roman threw up his hands in mock defense. "Fine, just… I'm trying to figure out how to phrase this without getting stabbed." He suddenly grimaced in annoyance as he met Raven's eyes. "Could… could you lose the mask already? I see enough of those damn things as is without  _you_  hiding behind one."

Raven glared for a moment, before rolling her eyes. Grasping the bottom of the faceplate, she pulled the mask off in a single fluid motion, her long locks falling unrestrained around her face.

Without meaning to, Neo sucked in a sharp, silent breath. Swap out the black hair for blonde, and this Raven woman would be the spitting image of the girl Roman had dubbed 'Sunshine'. Though, looking hard enough, she noticed that the woman's face was slightly narrower than the blonde teen, her chin a tad sharper. Still, the resemblance was uncanny.

Running a hand through her unkempt mane, Raven fixed Roman with an annoyed stare. "Better?"

Roman grinned. "Being able to see all your dark beauty again? Much."

"Roman… Talk.  _Now._ "

A groan passed Roman's lips. "Ugh. Fine. Just, uh… promise me something?"

Raven raised a suspicious brow. "What?"

Neo watched as Roman looked around awkwardly. "Uh… don't kill me?"

Raven's eyes darkened dangerously. "Roman, I'm losing my patience."

"...please?"

She glared at him hard, then relented reluctantly. "Fine. I promise."

After the tense moment, Roman sighed. "Look, how much do you know about my little…  _mishap_  Saturday night?"

Frowning, Raven crossed her arms. "Just what the news has been saying. That you stole an Atlassian warmech and went on a rampage down the freeway. That a bunch of local hunters stopped you, but you got away." Her flat stare became a glare once again. "That you're lucky no one  _died_ , otherwise they wouldn't have bothered asking for your arrest and gone straight to 'shoot on sight'."

Roman swallowed nervously.  _Okay, didn't think about that last one._  "Did they give any specifics about the Hunters I fought?"

Raven's eyes narrowed. "No…"

Roman chuckled with little humor. "Well, the thing is, those Hunters weren't really Hunters, exactly. They, uh…" He shrank slightly when he saw Raven tilt her head. "They were actually a bunch of Beacon freshmen?"

Raven looked confused for all of a moment before her eyes widened in realization. Her arms dropped to her sides. When her eyes narrowed, a red light seemed to build in them.

A bead of sweat trickled down Roman's forehead. "Wanna, heh… w-wanna guess which ones they were?"

Neo's instincts went haywire as she watched Raven's eyes go from glowing to burning. Her shoulders tensed, her hands clenched into fists. With a look that screamed murder, she took a step forward.

Roman backpedaled instantly, throwing up his hands in panic. "Rea, wait!" Raven paid no heed to his words, rapidly closing on him with every step. Roman kept backing up until his back hit the wall. "C'mon, you promised- _gah_!"

With terrifying speed, Raven's arm shot out, her fist connecting with Roman's mouth so hard his head whiplashed off the wall. Before he could hold his aching jaw, she grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down the three-inch height difference. Nose to nose with him, she  _snarled_. " _What did you do, you idiot?!_ "

"Nothing!" he shouted with panicked green eyes. Realizing just how stupid  _that_  sounded, he instantly relented. "Okay, something, but… Look, all I wanted was to make sure that Little Red and Sunshine really were who I thought they were. Things… just got a little out of hand!"

Raven responded through clenched teeth. "You attacked them with a twenty-foot war machine."

Roman swallowed. "Okay, a lot out of hand. I was getting desperate! ...could you let me up, please? You're killing my spine!"

Raven held him down, giving him the fullest view of her blazing eyes. With a growl, she shoved him away, taking a step back. "You have one minute before I make you regret calling me. Explain,  _now_."

Roman rubbed his sore jaw. "Kinda do already," he muttered under his breath. When the glow of Raven's eyes seemed to grow deeper, he quickly started to explain. "Look, I'll give you the short version. 'Bout a year ago, this chick shows up with a job for me. Real easy stuff, just stealing Dust and guns. Except, she offered me  _stupid_  money to do it, so long as I don't ask no questions." At this point, Roman started pacing back and forth around the room, not even looking at Raven as he spouted his tale. "I do a good job, don't go sticking my nose where it ain't supposed to go, she offered me  _more_  jobs. This goes on for a few months, I get them more stuff, I get the best paydays of my life. Everyone's happy, life is good."

"Then," He chuckled with a hint of mania. "Then one day, me and the boys go to hit this little mom-and-pop store. Things are going great when suddenly one of my guys goes flying across the store like he was shot out of a cannon. I turn around, and right there in the middle of the store is the second-coming of Summer, silver eyes and all, slicing and dicing my gang with a freaking  _scythe_  bigger than she is." He barked out a laugh, throwing his arms out wide in mock amazement, fueled on by Raven's look of disbelief as her eyes followed him around the room. "And ever since that day, every  _freaking_  time I turn around, she and her little freak parade have been right there, screwing everything up."

Raven's eyes narrowed, her confusion outweighing her anger. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" Roman stopped pacing, his voice rising as his words slowly turned to ranting. "She just keeps showing up! I try to knock over this little mom-and-pop store, suddenly she's there kicking my guys' asses. I try to move some stuff at the docks, she shows up and kicks  _more_  of my guys' asses! I go to a freaking recruitment rally for the  _White Fang_ , her Kitty Cat girlfriend is there, and sure enough, five minutes later, she shows up to kick  _my_  ass, this time with her big sister in tow."

Raven hummed to herself, taking in the information. How she felt about it, Neo didn't know. The woman's face never seemed to change from 'mild interest' aside from the slight smirk. "I'll admit, it's odd that you keep crossing paths. But what did you mean by knowing 'if they were who you thought they were'?"

Roman shrugged. "It just seemed way too weird. All these years and suddenly Summer's kid shows up,  _just_ to start screwing with my life? It wouldn't be the first time someone I pissed off tried to mess with me. I figured she was either a lookalike or a robot." At Raven's unimpressed brow, Roman got defensive. "Hey, I know there's at least one running around that looks human! My employer's going nuts trying to track down who it is."

At that, Raven frowned. "Who exactly are you working for?"

Roman rolled his eyes. "A bunch of ill-tempered crazy people with too much money and delusions of grandeur." Waving the subject off, he continued. "Look, the point is, I needed to know if Red and Sunshine were the real deal. The Paladin might have been a bit overkill, but it worked."

"How?"

Roman grinned like he was a genius. "The eyes. Made them both mad enough at me to give an honest angry look." He chuckled while looking up as if reminiscing on a happy memory. "Blazing red and deep silver, giving me a death glare at the same time. Only two other people who could pull that off."

After taking a moment to digest Roman's story, Raven shook her head with a slight grin. "Still, you let things reach that point before calling one of us? Tai or Qrow could have cleared everything up with a scroll call."

Roman snorted. "Yeah,  _that_  would have gone well. They probably would have told me right after Musclehead beat me to a bloody pulp and Bird Brain stabbed me a couple dozen times. They don't exactly like me, Rea."

Raven just shook her head, deciding not to push the issue. "So, you convinced they're real yet, or do you need me to confirm it?"

"No, but maybe you can clear something up for me." He crossed his arms, now frowning. "Maybe my math's off, but the kid's only fifteen, right?"

Frowning, Raven nodded. "Yes."

Roman threw his arm out in exasperation, gesturing towards Beacon's spires shining off in the distance. "Then what the heck is she doing here?!"

Raven looked out the window, following his hand. After a moment, she smirked slightly. "Apparently, she got early admittance by impressing Ozpin."

Roman scoffed in disbelief. "By two years? The heck did she do?"

"Single-handedly stopped an armed robbery."

Roman blinked. Rapidly. His shoulders fell, and his face went slack. "Please tell me you're joking."

Raven's widening smirk was all the answer he needed.

Roman facepalmed with an audible  _smack!_  "You have got to be kidding… no, you know what?" He threw up his hands, grinning like a madman. "That… That makes perfect sense.  _Of course,_  that's how she got in.  _Of course,_  that's how she started showing up all the time." He laughed, and Neo couldn't tell if it was sarcastic or if he somehow genuinely found the situation funny. "I did this to myself!"

Raven apparently thought it was the latter, sporting the largest grin she'd gotten since entering the room. "Sounds like it."

Roman chuckled to himself, before taking a deep breath. "Well, thanks, I guess. The age thing was my big hang-up for why she was here. But…" The humor on Roman's face faded, leaving him with a troubled frown. "Now that I know she and Sunshine are the real deal, that leaves us with one hell of a problem."

Raven sighed. "I didn't think you called me just to reminisce."

Roman grimaced. "'Fraid not. It's about Little Red and Sunshine. I think they're about to have all hell rain down on them."

Raven's lips curved down in a slight frown, her eyes turning sharper. "Why?"

"Remember the ill-tempered employers I work for? Well, I ain't the only person who works for them. The other one is Adam Taurus."

For the first time, Raven looked genuinely shocked. "You work with that psychopath?"

"Oh, so you've met him," Roman commented with a smirk. "Technically, yeah, though I try to stay out of his way as much as I can. The guy is  _not_  all there… which is kinda the problem. You know the cat Faunus on Little Red's team?"

Raven nodded, unsure about the change in subject. "Yes…?"

"Well, after Red and Sunshine blew up my Paladin, which, by the way, I stole for the White Fang originally, Taurus called me to ask what the hell. After I mentioned Kitty Cat, he completely flipped his lid. I thought that seemed a little extreme, even for him, so I started poking around. Asking some White Fang members with loose lips if they knew anything."

"I assume they did?"

Roman chuckled darkly. "Oh, big time. Turns out, little miss Blake Belladonna? She's Taurus' ex-Mate."

Raven's face paled. "Oh… no…" she groaned, putting a hand to her face.

"Oh, yes," Roman confirmed, his smile just shy of a grimace. "Little side-note: since I had no idea what 'ex-Mate' really meant, I looked it up. Which lead me to another discovery." He cocked a brow at Raven, some humor bleeding into his grin. "The Faunus princess  _and_  the Schnee heiress? Girls can't do anything small, can they?"

Raven didn't answer, just giving another groan. She slowly lifted her head, face tight with resignation. "Any idea what he's going to do?"

Roman shook his head, resuming his pacing. "Vaguely. Right before I called you, he called me asking for me to find him no less than eighty machine guns by next week. He's planning something real bad for his ex, and if Red and Sunshine are as close to her as I think they are…"

"They're going to be right there in the thick of it," Raven finished, looking both troubled and annoyed.

Roman nodded, breathing out a chuckle. "Yep. So… you need to get them out of here."

Raven blinked in surprise, her shoulders tensing up. "What?"

"Get them the hell out of Vale." Roman started gesturing as he spoke, completely missing the blindsided look on Raven's face as she watched him move. "Send them back to Patch for a couple weeks. Or, hell, hide them with your band of not-so-merry men."

After a moment of stunned silence, Raven looked off to the side, as if in contemplation. "Roman…" she tried to say, with a look Neo could only describe as apprehensive.

Roman didn't notice, talking more to himself than Raven as he continued pacing. "Look, Taurus is  _beyond_  pissed. Get the girls, have them take their little girlfriends, and make them disappear for a while."

"Roman."

"Our employer's probably ticked about this already. I rat him out to her, she'll yank his leash  _hard_ , and then maybe-"

" _Roman!_ "

The conman flinched at Raven's sudden yell. "What?" He whirled around, being faced with Raven's blank face.

"I… can't do that."

Roman cocked his head, frowning in confusion. "Why not? Just call them and tell 'em…" Roman trailed off, suddenly looking thoughtful as he stared at Raven's tight expression. His face slowly slackened when he realized Raven was refusing to meet his eyes. "No way…" He shook his head lightly, eyes narrowing in denial. "They  _still_  don't know?"

Raven turned back with a slight scowl, now looking Roman dead on. "Why are you surprised? They didn't recognize  _you._ "

Roman stared at Raven with something akin to shock. "Are you…?"

From behind her mediocre cover, Neo watched with wide eyes. Up until now, the exchange between Roman and his apparent friend made little to no sense to her. He'd been trying to kill those girls from Beacon for almost a month, and now he was trying to protect them? Why? And who was this woman, who Neo had a sneaking suspicion could end her before she even realized it? What was her connection to those girls? Better yet, what was her connection to Roman?

All these thoughts came to a screeching halt when Neo saw Roman's face  _change_. Ice filled her veins.

She'd seen a lot of Roman's sides over the few years she'd known him. She'd seen him frustrated, happy, annoyed, disappointed; she  _thought_  she had seen him angry. When she saw his face now, though, she realized she was wrong.

Roman was  _livid_.

"Are you kidding me?!" he shouted, loudly enough that Neo worried about other people in the building hearing him. Roman apparently didn't care, actually taking a step forward so he could tower over Raven. "I… I am a criminal mastermind wanted in nearly every Kingdom. I  _expect_  you to leave me out. You… I…" He spluttered, his words running together in a raging jumble. He took a deep breath, but it just seemed to fuel the flames. "Thirteen years! The three of you couldn't grow a pair between you in thirteen years?!"

"It's not that simple-"

"It's really fucking simple!" Roman cut off Raven's protests before she could even start. "Do… do they know anything?"

Raven held his desperate glare evenly, no emotion on her face. "Yang knows that I'm her birth mother."

Roman waited for her to go on. When she didn't, he waved his hand with a bewildered look on his face. " _And?_ "

Raven gave no answer, save her eyes flicking downward.

Roman's form slumped in disbelief. "So… they know nothing." He then scoffed with little humor. "Except that there's another mother mixed in with all the crap they were told. Yeah, I'm sure that  _totally_  didn't confuse the hell out of them."

Raven's face suddenly darkened, her lips set into a firm scowl. "Why do you even care, Roman? You left before all of this."

Roman gave a sharp bark of a laugh. "I  _left_  because I didn't want any part of this convoluted mess. But I thought,  _at some point_ , you all at least would think to… but no. No, no, you… you three just stuck to this, didn't you?" He scoffed, his smile bitter and scornful. " _Wow_. You three really were lost when Summer disappeared, weren't you?"

Neo blinked. That name again. Who was Summer?

Now it was Raven's turn to step forward, nose to nose with the conman as her eyes blazed. "That is not fair, Roman." Her voice came out as an angry hiss.

Roman was too angry to be afraid. "What do I care? It's true! You all heaped everything on her, your great fearless leader, and the moment she was gone, you all fell apart."

"How can you judge us?" Raven fired back, going on the defensive. "It's not like you did any better. Losing Summer hurt all of us, but we tried to make the best decisions we could. You just cussed us out and left."

Roman grit his teeth, snarling. "Well, I'm sure it was damn easy for you to keep your stupid plan going without her! It's not like you missed much."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" They were right in each other's faces now, screaming. "Why would you think losing her would be  _easy_  on any of us?!"

"Because you all just lost a teammate.  _I lost my sister!_ "

Neo's mouth fell open.

Raven's eyes blazed, her whole body coiled like a spring. She looked like any second she was going to launch herself across the room to beat Roman senseless, or worse. But just as Neo was about to make the suicidal move to try to stop her… it ended. The burning glow faded from her eyes, her shoulders relaxing as she dipped her head down, arms falling limply to her sides. All traces of aggression bled out of her in seconds, replaced with a look of… Neo wasn't sure what. Sadness? Bitterness? Regret? Neo was so baffled by the sudden change, she almost missed it when Raven muttered quietly.

"...I lost more than that, Roman."

Roman kept up his glare for a minute. But without Raven's fury to feed off of, it didn't last long. His face fell, not sad exactly, but… resigned. With a huff, he turned away from Raven, falling back onto the couch. He placed his elbows on his knees, burying his head in his hands with a groan.

Raven watched him for a moment, looking unsure of what to do next. She looked towards the door, then the window and Neo wondered if she was going to just leave. Then she slowly panned back towards Roman. With a small sigh, she walked over and sat on the opposite end of the couch, her Nevermore mask sitting in her lap.

As the two sat in awkward, tense silence, Neo's mind raced. Roman had a sister? How did she not know this? Well, the answer was pretty obvious: she wasn't around anymore. He'd said she'd 'disappeared', but Roman had eyes and ears all over Remnant. The only way he didn't know where she was as if she was purposefully hiding from him… or she was dead.

Neo felt a twinge of pity for Roman at the thought, frowning lightly.

Seconds ticked by as the two… were they even friends? Neo had no idea… continued to ignore each other. Raven stared down at her mask, fingertips trailing over the intricate designs in random patterns, while Roman just stared down at nothing. He'd let one of his arms fall limp, propping his head up on the other. Neo felt another twinge. They both just looked so… drained. Defeated.

"...we  _are_  going to tell them."

Roman looked over at Raven's quiet admission, only able to express mild interest in the form of a raised eyebrow.

Raven didn't look at him, instead staring at her mask as if it was the focus of her thoughts. "After Ruby got admitted early, Tai and Qrow suggested it was a good a time as any. We're going to tell them after Ruby turns sixteen."

Roman gave her a long look, then turned away with a scoff. "In other words, they strong-armed you into telling. You still don't want to."

Raven frowned at his dismissal. "There's no reason to. They're all grown up." She hesitated, her voice growing a touch softer. "They don't need a mother anymore."

"Bullshit." Roman's curse held no anger or scorn, just the bluntness of cold fact. "You just know they're going to be pissed when they find out they've been lied to all this time." He smirked when she scowled slightly. A chuckle passed his lips. "Mistral's badass Bandit Queen, scared of a couple of teenagers. It'd be funny if it weren't so pathetic."

Raven slowly turned to face him, her expression blank save for her narrowed eyes. "...I could warp you to Tai's front room right now."

Roman held her stare for a moment. Then his eyes hardened a bit, his smirk growing. "...you know what? Go for it. Knowing him and Qrow, this might be the one time the three of us are on the same page."

Raven held his gaze, before looking off with a grunt. Roman chuckled at her, then leaned back on the couch, putting his arms behind his head. "Well, even if I believed you, that won't work either. If Taurus gets his way, Little Red, Sunshine, and both their little bed buddies won't make it to the end of next week, let alone Red's sweet sixteenth."

Raven stared down at her mask, arms crossed. She then sighed, looking to Roman reluctantly. "So what do you suggest?"

Roman scoffed. "Hey, you're the Brainy Bird, not me. I  _had_  a plan, but you just blew it all to hell with your long-ass game of 'missing mom'. It's your turn."

A growl escaped Raven's lips. "Do you at least know where Taurus is?"

"No," Roman admitted with a shrug. "But I know how to find out. Bully Boy wants me to scrounge up eighty guns before next Saturday. If I'm lucky, either he'll be there for the drop off himself, or his right-hand man will be."

Raven hummed. "What will you do if it is him?"

Roman grinned carelessly. "Shoot him in the back of the head and run?"

Raven scoffed, even as her lips twitched. "Even you're not that stupid."

The grin widened. "You can't prove that."

An actual laugh passed Raven's lips, soft and nearly soundless, easily mistakable for a sharp exhale. She looked thoughtful for a moment, asking, "You do know that if Taurus goes down, you'll probably lose whatever deal you have worked out with your 'employer'?"

Roman hummed. "Maybe. But even if I do…" He smirked at her. "I've given a lot of expensive goodies to Taurus and his goons. If he suddenly went 'poof!', the White Fang will lose their shit. Meaning, all that Dust, the guns, the money, the  _toys_ … all just sitting there while they freak out, nobody paying attention? I'll make five times the money I was paid to steal it by selling it over again."

Raven raised a brow. "...that your only reason?"

"...the only one I'll admit to." If possible, Roman's grin turned smarmier. "Besides, things are getting a little… heated between the three of us. Might be better for my health if I end this with a bang and disappear."

Raven smirked in response. "Okay. You find out where Taurus is, maybe we can stop this before it begins." Her eyes then darted up. "What about your friend over there? Will she keep quiet about this?"

Roman followed her gaze. Neo, who was still crouched behind the counter, flinched away at the unwanted attention, mismatched eyes darting from him to Raven with nervous energy. Roman gave a wide grin. "Neo? I told you. She won't say a word."

Neo's eyes widened, screaming ' _are-you-kidding-me?!'_. Raven noticed this, saying to Roman, "I'd feel better hearing it from her."

Neo squirmed as Raven looked to her expectantly. Her fight-or-flight response was shouting at her, and all she could do was give Roman her darkest death glare. Raven, in turn, sent Roman a questioning look.

Roman looked between them, acting confused. Then he let out a long "Ohhhh," his mock-understanding ruined by his giant grin. "Did I forget to mention she's mute?"

Raven's eyes shot wide, only to narrow sharply. Her response matched what Neo was thinking perfectly.

She whacked him upside the head.

Hard.


	11. A Sunny Winter's Day

 

**Wednesday. Vale Docks, Atlassian Warehouse**

"You're doing just fine, Ruby. Now focus on your other hand."

Ruby swallowed nervously. She peered down through her red glyph, the only thing between her and the cement floor thirty feet below. Winter looked up at her expectantly. With a small nod, Ruby lifted her arm, crossing her fingers as she kept her other hand steady. A second glyph formed a few feet away, slightly smaller. Moving fast, Ruby leapt the short distance, her first glyph fading away the second her foot left it. "Like that?" she called down, trying to stay steady as she came to a stop.

As Ruby wobbled precariously on her new platform, Winter nodded in approval. "Much better. Keep practicing. Remember: keep your fingers bent at the same angle, even when running."

"Yes, ma'am," Ruby responded, already forming her next glyph.

After another moment's watch, Winter moved away from the young leader, leaving her to practice on her own. She looked to the warehouse as a whole, and once again felt both impressed and disconcerted.

Once she knew the girls had been released from their detention (assisting Oobleck with grading papers, of all things), Winter had contacted Weiss, letting her know that, if they wished, she was available for another Semblance lesson. They had accepted eagerly, Ruby more so than the others given her newly healed leg, but Weiss had seemed just a tad annoyed. Winter didn't know the specifics as to why, only that it had to do with their training of Blake's Semblance that day, or lack thereof.

The plan for the day was to help them master the barrier glyph… at least that's how it started. Much to her chagrin, Winter quickly learned that one couldn't really make a  _plan_  for Team RWBY, so much as a general outline. It had taken less than fifteen minutes for her sister's significant others to take her carefully laid out training regiment, and promptly opt to create their own on the fly. Thus, Winter found herself delegated to be less of an instructor, and more of an advisor.

She had learned rather quickly that each of Weiss' girlfriends (and, no, Winter did  _not_  think she would ever get used to that) had vastly different strengths and weaknesses in regards to her family's Semblance. Ruby had trouble focusing on her glyphs while moving, while Yang had yet to create two glyphs of the same size. Blake was a bit better, having quickly grasped the concept of consistency and focus, but instead found that her glyphs lacked durability, shattering after a single hard blow.

Still, she had to admire their dedication to adapting. Ruby quickly set to recreating Yang and Blake's obstacle course from the previous day of training, hovering near the warehouse ceiling atop her ever-moving glyphs. Yang had taken to Winter's advice ( _"Try using an actual object as a base and attempt to match its size"_ ) with perhaps a little too much enthusiasm, spray painting a half-dozen circles of various sizes on the walls of her chosen corner, repeatedly forming glyphs over them with varied success. And Blake…

Blake had taken a more hands-on approach to her problem.

"Again!"

As Winter watched, Penny flew forwards, a blade in each hand as she held both swords out towards Blake. The cat Faunus blocked the charge with Gambol Shroud's blade, the grating sound of metal on metal forcing her ears back with a wince. Penny reacted instantly, spinning with her remaining momentum to bring her left blade to Blake's side…

...only for it to be deflected off of the small glyph hovering above Blake's left wrist.

 _Using a glyph like an actual, wearable shield._  Winter shook her head at the thought. Just a week ago, she'd have thought the notion impractical, given the sheer focus needed to keep the needed hand sign steady during combat. Yet, Blake seemed to be pulling it off.

The Faunus and the android met again in a flurry of blows, Blake blocking most swings with her blade while dodging the rest. Winter couldn't help but be impressed with her reflexes. Penny had been crafted to be a master swordswoman, trained by Winter herself. Yet Blake was able to match her blow for blow, moving with a fluid grace that seemed almost like she was dancing around her opponent.

Penny took an upwards swipe at Blake's side, forcing the Faunus to block downwards. With a seemingly effortless leap, Penny flipped over Blake's back the second their blades touched, going for another slash once her feet hit the floor. Blake was already moving, lifting her left arm in defense. Penny's blade slammed the center of the glyph… shattering it.

Blake hissed as the purple snowflake faded away, her fingers tensing with phantom pain.

Penny ended her aggressive stance instantly, releasing her swords to hover at her side. "Blake, are you injured?" She frowned in worry, green eyes glowing as she scanned the girl in front of her.

Blake returned a small grin, shaking her aching hand. "I'm fine, Penny. Just…" She hissed again as her fingers twitched, wincing. "That one hurt a bit more than the last one."

Penny hummed in thought. "Perhaps you should attempt to deflect blows with your glyphs at an angle, rather than block them straight on."

Blake flexed her hand a few times, looking thoughtful. "Maybe." She twitched her fingers, enveloping them with a violet glow. A new glyph formed over her hand. Raising her blade, she lowered into a battle stance. "Ready?"

Penny blinked, then beamed. Her swords flew back to her hands, and she clashed them together in anticipation. "Combat ready!"

Blake smirked, and the two locked blades.

A small smile pulled at the corner of Winter's mouth. It was heartening to see Penny interacting with someone so openly, given her origins. The girl needed friends, ones who accepted her for who and, more importantly,  _what_  she was. Team RWBY seemed to have taken the role with no qualms. Penny's robotic nature was a complete non-issue to them, and Winter was thankful for that.

A frustrated groan pulled Winter from her thoughts.

She turned away from the sparring girls, turning instead to the center of the warehouse. She watched as the massive glyph spread out over the concrete floor collapsed in on itself, taking with it a half-formed blob of a summon. At the far end of it, standing opposite of the Paladin wreck, Weiss let her arms fall limp to her sides. She scowled at the fading white light, eyes darting back and forth as the snowflake disappeared.

Winter frowned. That was the third failed summon in the last half-hour. She walked over to her sister, her critical eye scanning her. "Weiss."

The younger Schnee jumped slightly, startled by Winter's appearance. She looked to Winter, biting her lip nervously.

 _She should really break that habit,_  Winter thought idly. "Show me your form."

Weiss just barely stifled a grimace (Winter still caught her lips pulling back slightly), and instead just nodded. She lifted her arms, twisting and arching her fingers, bending her arms at careful angles. Her eyes went from her arms to Winter, looking for approval.

Winter looked her over, searching for any flaws in Weiss' position. After a long thirty seconds, she nodded. "Your form is perfect." Weiss' lips twitched up slightly, but she repressed any other reaction. Winter hummed thoughtfully. "You need to work on your focus. For your summon to take form, you must have every detail of it in mind. Try again."

Weiss swallowed nervously, then focused on the ground. Her hands glowed, and another large glyph formed… very slowly.

 _Her speed needs work, too,_  Winter thought, though she kept the notion to herself for the moment.

* * *

Across the warehouse, Yang watched the Schnee sisters from the corner of her eye. She absently kept forming yellow glyphs in front of her but wasn't really keeping track of their sizes anymore. She frowned slightly when she saw Weiss' brow scrunch in concentration, bringing another glyph into existence.

At the center of the glyph, something seemed to be moving.

Yang watched as Winter frowned towards the glyph. Her lips moved, saying something Yang couldn't hear. Weiss gave a stiff nod, her hands glowing a little brighter. The blotch at the center of her glyph moved and shifted. The formless mass slowly started to shape, creating something vaguely humanoid. Winter gave a small nod of approval, still frowning. Weiss' fingers twitched, and the form moved. It seemed to reach out of the glyph, like a diver moving to break through the surface. Metallic fingers poked out of the glyph…

And promptly shattered it. Weiss' glyph splintered into a million tiny fractals, taking the fledgling summon with it. Weiss let out a startled yelp of pain, bringing her arms to her chest like she'd been burned. She stared at the empty floor in disbelief, then slowly panned over to Winter. The elder Schnee frowned in thought, looking between Weiss and the empty space. She slowly shook her head, letting loose a sigh. Weiss' shoulders slumped, a defeated look on her face.

Yang frowned at the whole interaction.  _Failure_  and  _Shame_  ebbed off of Weiss, muted as she tried to suppress the feelings. She caught sight of Ruby and Blake looking over, both sporting matching looks of concern. Weiss waved them all off, careful to use the arm out of Winter's line of sight. Yang's eyes narrowed when Winter merely ordered Weiss to try again, and the younger sibling did so with only the briefest hesitation.

Yang hummed. A thought nagged her. She might have been new to using glyphs, but something about the way Weiss and Winter were training seemed familiar. When she pieced together what it was, she resisted a groan.

She wanted to say something. She  _should_  say something. But, there was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind, telling her she should stay out of it. It wasn't her place. Winter was Weiss' only attentive family, as far as she could tell. She was just a girlfriend. She imagined reversing the rolls, how she would react if someone walked up and said she was training Ruby wrong.

Yang shook her head, coming back to her thoughts as Weiss yelped again. Yang looked up… then felt herself getting angry.

That expression… It was brief, but something flickered across Winter's face when Weiss' glyph shattered again.

 _Okay,_  she thought, fighting against her building temper.  _Decision made._

Leaving her practice rings behind, Yang started across the warehouse floor.

* * *

"Hey, Winter? Could I talk to you for a second?"

Turning away from Weiss' failed attempts, Winter met Yang's eyes. Though the blonde seemed as carefree as ever, there was something in her eye, behind that cocky smirk, that made Winter wary. She held her stare for a moment, then turned back to Weiss, saying, "Keep holding the glyph open for as long as you can. If it fails, break for five minutes, then try again."

Weiss nodded, her focus on the glyph only breaking to shoot Yang a curious glance. Yang just flashed her that soft smile, then waved for Winter to follow her.

Yang didn't lead her far, just to the other side of the warehouse. The blonde leaned against the wall, staring out at the area as she crossed her arms. When she didn't immediately say anything, Winter followed her gaze. They could see everything from where they were, from Ruby creating and leaping from glyph to glyph, to Blake and Penny having their spar.

"So, is this how you learned all this?"

Winter looked to Yang, but the brawler was still looking out at the warehouse, her eyes focused on Weiss. She glanced at Winter, then clarified. "Glyphs, summoning. Is what you have all of us doing the same way you learned to do it?"

Winter's head pulled back slightly, a small move of understanding. "Unfortunately not," she explained. "My grandfather passed away before I was old enough to learn from him. I mostly learned my skills through trial and error, with the help of his journals."

Yang nodded. "Okay…" she drawled. "So you're teaching us the way you figured it out."

The elder Schnee nodded. "In a manner of speaking. It seemed the best method to go by, considering you three's, shall we say, lack of experience."

Yang hummed, smirking slightly. "Well, can't say you're wrong." She held up her palm, a yellow glyph flickering to life. She flexed her crossed fingers, her smile widening as the glyph grew and shrank with the movements. "This is beyond cool, but after what you told us about how these things work, figuring it out blind must have been a real headache."

Winter allowed a small chuckle, her lips curling a bit. "At times," she admitted. "There were days, early on, when it felt like I was making little progress."

Yang laughed in return. Then she asked, "Does Weiss know that?"

Winter blinked, narrowing her eyes at the blonde in confusion. "Pardon?"

"Does she know you had trouble, figuring this all out?"

"She knows my skills did not come easy to me. That they required hard work and training for me to get to where I am." Winter's eyes narrowed further, now in suspicion. "Why do you ask?"

Yang shrugged, letting her glyph fade. Shoving her hands in her coat pockets, she said, "Well, maybe I'm wrong, but you seem kind of-"

_Shrii-chk!_

Yang and Winter flinched as a piercing sound filled the air, only to cut off with a sound like breaking glass. They both turned just in time to see Weiss' massive glyph shatter, the ghostly image of a robotic arm splintering along with it. They heard Weiss suck in a startled breath, gripping her forearm in pain. She hung her head, breathing deeply, before walking over to a cooler of water. Ruby, having seen all this, quickly leapt down from her fledgling glyphs, running to Weiss' side as she waved off Blake's look of concern.

Winter's lips pursed as she watched Weiss retreat.  _She should have been able to hold out for at least a few-_

"That."

Winter turned back to Yang, only to find the brawler frowning at her.

"Excuse me?"

Yang crossed her arms again, meeting Winter's stare with her own. "That look you gave Weiss. You're disappointed she's not better with her summoning."

Winter was startled, not of the accusation, but by the matter-of-fact tone Yang used. Feeling her hackles raise, Winter stood up a bit straighter. "I won't deny it. I'd expected her to have progressed further than this in our time apart."

"Why?" Yang asked, unnervingly calm.

Winter frowned. "When I was her age, I could already summon a full-sized Deathstalker. I'd hoped Weiss would be capable of a similar feat by now."

To her surprise and ire, Yang laughed, seemingly to herself. "Ah… yeah, that's what I figured."

Despite herself, Winter's face pulled into a slight scowl. "You disagree?" she asked, her tone warning.

Yang either didn't notice or didn't care, chuckling as she did. "Well, if you're going to try using yourself as a measuring stick for Weiss, then yeah, I disagree."

Winter's eyes hardened. "And what, may I ask, do you find wrong with that?" Her voice grew colder with every word, challenge building.

Yang lazily put her hands up, a slight frown on her lips. "Hey, I'm not trying to start nothing. I was just wondering if there was something Weiss should be doing differently." She looked over Winter's shoulder, watching as Weiss' hands trembled. A bead of sweat trailed down the heiress' forehead, her eyes never leaving the glyph at her feet. Yang made a small sound of worry. "She looks like she's having trouble."

Winter's eyes narrowed a bit, following Yang's gaze. She stared for a moment, the intensity in her eyes fading. She gave a brief sigh as she turned back. "She's doing everything perfectly. She just needs practice."

Yang raised a brow, catching Winter's brief hesitance. "You're sure about that?"

Winter frowned, trying not to scowl. "Yang, Weiss and I are… well, I suppose,  _were_ … the only people on this planet with our abilities. As you said, it took great pains on my part to reach the skill level I have, and I've passed everything I know, all that I've learned, onto her." She turned to watch Weiss, eyes growing softer and voice growing more confident. "She has everything she needs to reach my level."

Crossing her arms, Yang hummed. "Yeah… I'm not so sure."

Winter huffed in irritation. She may have been willing to give these girls some leeway, for Weiss' sake, but Yang was quickly pushing dangerously close to Winter's breaking point. "And I suppose you have experience in this field?" The barbed words slipped out, Winter's voice briefly dipping into the same sarcastic, superior tone Weiss had been known for in their early days.

Unexpectedly, Yang grinned. "Well… yeah, actually. Kinda."

Winter blinked. Her eyes squinted as she looked for signs of deceit, but Yang seemed genuine in her statement. "You'll have to explain that to me."

Yang breathed a slight laugh, then looked towards the ceiling. "Okay, how to start?" she asked herself. She scratched the back of her head, trailing her fingers down her unruly blonde mane. After a moment, she nodded to herself. She met Winter's eyes, asking, "Can I ask you something first?"

Winter quirked a brow, her annoyance at the blonde still present. "I suppose."

"Do you know what my Semblance is?"

Winter blinked, unprepared for the sudden change of topic. She tried to recall the information Ozpin had sent her before, as well as the deluge of insanity she'd heard in Ozpin's office the past Saturday. "You can redirect kinetic energy if I recall," she answered after a few seconds.

Yang's lips pulled back in uncertainty, her head swaying side to side in thought. "Well… kind of, I guess. That's the short version, at least. Whenever I get hit, I can take the energy from that hit, and add it to my own strength." She re-crossed her arms, her lips curving back to her usual smile. "Now, the thing is, my dad's Semblance works the same. So, when he started teaching me how to fight, and we got to me learning about my Semblance, he taught me the same way he figured it out."

Winter arched a brow. Admittedly, Yang's training did seem to parallel Weiss'. "And how was that?"

Yang smirked a bit. "Get hit really hard and try to store the energy as long as I could. Problem was, it worked great for him, but for some reason, I couldn't store the energy like he could. I could hold it in for a while, but eventually, my insides started feeling like they were on fire. The pain would just keep building until I finally let it all out." She shook her head, chuckling. "Took us six months before we figured out what was wrong."

While now curious, Winter still wasn't quite sure where Yang was going with her tale. Still, she had piqued her interest. "And that was?"

Yang snorted. "Well, turns out that while our Semblances were  _similar_ , mine is a lot more unstable than his." She pulled away from the wall, fully facing Winter. "See, Dad can absorb energy, and then store it, as far as I know, forever. And he can just keep stacking that energy with every hit he takes, growing stronger and stronger, until he lets it out."

Yang then brought her hands up, clenching her fists. To Winter's surprise, her eyes turned red, and her hair started glowing. "Mine's a little different. We can both absorb energy, but Dad can only unleash as much energy as he's been hit with. Me though, when I absorb energy, it turns out my body doubles it." She relaxed her hands, and her eyes and hair faded back to normal. "Pretty cool, but it has a pretty sucky drawback. Unlike Dad, I  _have_  to release that energy pretty quickly, otherwise, it starts tearing me up inside. Torn muscles, fractured bones; it ain't pretty."

Winter winced slightly. For all the trouble her Semblance had given her in the early years, she'd never been physically hurt by it. She was still confused, though. "That sounds like a rather troubling issue, but I fail to see what that has to do with how I've been instructing Weiss."

Yang rolled her eyes, much to Winter's annoyance. "Okay, I'll spell it out. You know  _why_  it took us six months to figure this out?" Winter gave a tiny shake of her head. "Because, since our Semblances  _seemed_  to be the same, my dad kept teaching me how to use mine  _exactly_  like his, when the whole time it was the wrong thing for me to do. It wasn't until pretty much all the bones in my right arm shattered for apparently no reason that we figured out I was different from him."

Winter's eyes narrowed, now understanding. "And you think I'm doing that with Weiss." Winter considered it for a moment. She could see what Yang was implying, but she disagreed. "Your logic is flawed. Unlike you and your father, I  _do_  know that Weiss and I share the same Semblance. It's not the same."

Yang hummed, her eyes looking up in thought. "Maybe not exactly, but close enough. I kept doing what my dad said was the right way to learn my Semblance, and ended up beating my head against the wall until my bones broke." She then looked back out at the warehouse, towards where Weiss was standing. The young heiress was back at it, a large fresh glyph suspended in front of her, its center rippling slightly as Ruby watched. Yang bobbed her head towards them. "Weiss is doing exactly what you keep saying is the right way to learn her Semblance, and is beating her head against the wall with this summoning stuff."

Winter's eyes widened at Yang's implication. She felt a slight twinge in her chest, but she quickly forced it away, replacing it with cold anger. She scowled at Yang. "So you think I've been teaching her incorrectly all this time?"

Yang threw her hands up again, apparently sensing Winter's change in mood. "Hey, I'm just speaking my mind here. You know a lot more about this glyphs stuff than Weiss, and  _way_  more than me. I just think you both might be overlooking something."

Seeing the honesty in Yang's lavender eyes, Winter forced herself to calm. However, she couldn't help but feel a little insulted. Crossing her arms and lifting her chin, she asked, "Such as?"

Yang groaned in frustration. "Look, all I'm saying is, as someone who's been there, it  _really_  sucks when you keep comparing your own progress to someone else, and despite doing everything they're telling you, you never seem to measure up."

Winter's stare held strong, but she couldn't help feeling another slight twinge. Her eyes darted to the side again. Another of Weiss' glyphs had shattered, and the younger Schnee was now resting on the ground, scowling at nothing. Ruby was at her side, speaking lowly so that only Weiss could hear. The heiress' scowl faded, but never got any better than a small frown.

"...Weiss feels that way?"

The words had been spoken softly, intended only for Winter herself to hear. Yang, however, apparently had exceptional hearing. She let out an amused huff. "Not that she'd ever admit it. She tries to keep her feelings locked down tight, especially when something's bothering her. Except… well, she can't really hide that from us anymore."

Winter turned back to Yang, perplexed. In answer, Yang just smirked and lifted her hand, tapping a finger against the colorful Mark on her neck.

Winter felt a spark of annoyance, this time towards herself. "Right… I'd forgotten," she admitted ruefully. "That must be a useful skill."

Yang chuckled. "Yeah… though, Weiss calls it cheating." She turned to watch Weiss and Ruby again. The two were standing, Ruby speaking excitedly with numerous arm movements, while Weiss frowned, looking… apprehensive? Their emotions reflected their looks, piquing Yang's curiosity as to what they were discussing.

She kept focus on her current conversation, however. With a sidelong glance, she told Winter, "Weiss really looks up to you, you know that?" Winter shot her a surprised look, which Yang ignored, continuing her point. "She's working her ass off to impress you… but I think that might be part of the problem."

Across the warehouse, Weiss formed another glyph, even slower than before. Her eyes kept flitting towards Ruby, the younger girl watching her hands attentively.

Winter watched Weiss struggle for a moment, unease plain on her face. "...I don't mean to seem hard on her." Winter murmured, making Yang look over. "I just want to make sure that she…" She struggled to find the proper words.

"You want to make sure she'll be okay when you're not around to protect her?"

Winter stiffened, not expecting Yang's words to hit so close to the mark. With a sigh, she admitted to the blonde, "Precisely."

Yang grinned ruefully, staring off across the warehouse. "Believe me, I know the feeling."

Winter followed her gaze, her eyes landing on Ruby, still speaking softly even as Weiss focused on her summon. "Could you elaborate, please?"

Yang heaved a great sigh, putting a hand to the back of her head. "It's… a really weird situation." She looked down for a moment, then met Winter's eyes with a muted smirk. "You know why Ruby and I have different last names?"

Winter blinked in surprise, her brow raising. She tried to hide her shock at the question, only slightly succeeding. "I… have an idea," she admitted. "Your school records have you and Ruby listed as having different birth mothers. I assumed that was partly the reason."

Yang nodded, her smirk fading just a tad. "Okay, that saves time, I guess." After a brief moment, Yang took a deep breath, her face brightening a bit. "Well, I'll save you the gory details…  _mostly because I still don't know them myself_ …" she muttered, her tone growing annoyed and slightly angry, before returning to normal. "But the short version is, for whatever reason, my mom took off when I was real little. Not even a year later, I had a new mom and a new little sister."

Winter swallowed discreetly. The way Yang said that left… implications. She was quickly becoming aware of just how out of her depth she was with this subject. "That seems…" She fished around for the least accusatory thing she could say. "...quick."

To her relief, Yang merely snorted, though with little humor. "Yeah… Rubes and I have some theories on that whole thing…" Yang waved the whole subject away. "It doesn't matter right now. Besides, Ruby's mother, Summer, was basically supermom. Took care of us, kept us happy." She smiled softly. "She treated me like I was her own daughter. As far as I'm concerned, she was my mom."

Winter smiled at that but sighed when she caught Yang's words. Trying to sound as sympathetic as she felt, she said. "I noticed you said 'was'."

Yang let out a long breath. "Yeah. Add it to the list of questions I'll never get answered. When I was about four or five, she went out on some solo mission… her first in years… and never came back."

Winter nodded, expecting as much. "I'm sorry."

Yang shrugged, nodding in thanks. "Things got…  _complicated_ , after Summer disappeared. Since Dad's got his teaching job and our Uncle was always out doing Hunter stuff, Ruby and I were kind of on our own a lot. And, without a mom… I tried to fill the role for Ruby."

Yang fell silent for a moment, and Winter tried to absorb her words. She could already draw the parallel Yang was hinting towards. "So… you worry about her."

Yang laughed lightly. "Constantly. I am so thankful she earned early admittance to Beacon. Otherwise, I'd probably be going nuts every day, wondering if she was okay or not. Plus, you never know if she's going to have…  _questions_  that only I can answer." At Winter's curious brow, Yang smirked. "Hey, don't get me wrong. Dad and Uncle Qrow try their damnedest, but there's, um,  _certain things_  that are just easier to learn from another girl, if you know what I mean."

Winter nodded in understanding, conceding the point. "Yes, I suppose I-" Then her eyes shot wide, something in Yang's words triggering a memory. Her head snapped towards the blonde. "Wait… Uncle  _Qrow_? As in, Qrow  _Branwen_?"

Yang blinked in surprise, then beamed a smile. "Yeah! What, you know him?"

Winter felt her eye twitch slightly, her gaze panning mechanically from Yang to Ruby, chatting animatedly with Weiss as the heiress practiced. A scene played in her mind, one of multiple repeated events, as while having to speak with the man, she was forced to listen to Qrow Branwen rave half-drunkenly about how proud he was of his two quote-unquote ' _kickass_ ' nieces.

Two nieces that, apparently, her sister was now dating  _at the same time._

Her head throbbing with a coming headache, Winter closed her eyes, massaging her furrowed forehead. "We are… colleagues of sorts." Winter forcibly shoved the thoughts away. She could focus on that revelation and its implications later… perhaps, ironically, with the help of the bottle of Vacuoian bourbon Qrow had given her as a gag birthday gift.

Instead, she returned to the conversation… albeit reluctantly. She was aware of what Yang was trying to do, but still… asking for help was a blow to her pride. "Then… as one elder sibling to another… what do you suggest?"

Again, Yang just shrugged. "Not sure, honestly. This summoning stuff is a bit over my head at the moment." She looked back towards their younger siblings. "Maybe start by asking if she has any ideas about… oh, no, Ruby, what are you thinking?"

With a start, Winter's head snapped towards the two, expecting the worst. Weiss had apparently given up on her latest attempt and was now holding Ruby's hands in her own. Weiss' eyes kept flicking from their hands to Ruby's face, full of apprehension, but the leader just smiled away, practically bouncing with excitement. After a brief moment and a resigned smile, Weiss had Ruby hold her hands up, curving the fingers of each hand into a particular pattern.

Winter's eyes shot wide in disbelief. "She's not serious."

Yang looked the two over, quickly coming to the same conclusion that Winter had. "Knowing Ruby… yeah, she is."

Winter shot Yang a quick glare. "I meant Weiss! She can't even create a summon of her own yet. Why is she showing Ruby how to do it?"

A small snort escaped Yang, her lips quirked up in an amused grin. "Probably because Ruby asked." She raised an eyebrow at Winter. "Think she can do it?"

Winter looked at Yang like she was crazy. "Of course she can't! She has no experience with anything but barriers." She shook her head, incredulous. "We have to stop this. They're going to hurt themselves." Winter took a single step forward…

...but she was too late. Ruby's hands glowed red as Weiss stepped to the side. After getting a hesitant nod from Weiss, Ruby threw her hands out excitedly. A massive red glyph spread out over the floor, right at the feet of the wrecked Paladin. It spun in place, faster than any Weiss had ever created.

For a single fleeting second, the outline of something large and winged appeared on the glyph's surface. But in the next, the glyph failed. However, unlike Weiss' before, Ruby's glyph didn't just shatter.

It exploded.

Violently.

Shards of broken glyph flew out in all directions, either dissolving or shattering again on contact with the walls. A bolt of red lightning shot out of the dying glyph's center, webbing out and striking the Paladin corpse in the shoulder, making the whole thing sway in place. Ruby and Weiss jumped back, throwing their arms over their heads in fright. At the other end of the warehouse, Blake and Penny stopped sparring, looking over just in time to see the red particles rain down on them.

Everyone stared at the blackened, scorched concrete at Ruby's feet. Then they jumped as an ominous creak sounded throughout the building. The wrecked Paladin creaked and groaned its shoulder smoking. With a metallic  _snap!_ , the cable holding the mechanical corpse to the ceiling gave way, making the entire mech sag. With the sudden lack of support, the other cables broke in quick succession, sending the Paladin to fall on its nonexistent face with a cacophony of metallic sound.

When the echoes of the mech's collapse finally faded away, stunned silence was all that was left.

"... _snk_ …"

All eyes suddenly fell on Weiss, her hands covering her mouth since the mech's fall. A light laugh escaped her lips as she looked at Ruby's… _results_. She cut herself off quickly, guilt in her eyes as she turned to apologize to her girlfriend…

...only to find Ruby having a giggle fit of her own.

After a moment of seeing and, Winter suspected,  _feeling_  Ruby's humor over her failure, Weiss started laughing with her, making only a token effort to hide her giggles behind her hand. Across the way, Blake rolled her eyes at the two, smiling fondly, before reassuring Penny that everything was okay. Getting a nod and a smile from the android, the two resumed sparring.

Winter watched all of this, completely gobsmacked. Neither she nor Weiss had had a glyph fail so catastrophically before. Yet, no one, neither Weiss nor Ruby herself, seemed the least bit concerned. If anything, given Blake's reaction, they treated the event as if it were…  _normal_.

"Insanity," she breathed out.

Yang chuckled beside her, reminding the elder Schnee that she was still there. "We prefer 'unconventional'." She cocked her head to the side, eyeing the scorch marks on the ground. "The heck did she try to summon, though?"

Winter glanced at her, then straightened her back, trying to collect herself. "I believe it looked to be a Nevermore."

Yang blinked, then laughed. "Go big or go home, I guess." She shot Winter a grin, bobbing her head towards the giggling pair. "We should probably go over there before our sisters blow themselves up… again."

Winter nodded, her lips quirking upwards. "Agreed."

Yang nodded to her, starting to walk towards the other two. Winter followed at a slower pace, watching Ruby and Weiss in consideration. The partners were now talking normally, Weiss trying to answer Ruby's barrage of questions as she gestured with her hands. Winter was surprised to see how… _relaxed_  Weiss seemed, grinning as she described in great detail how a summon was supposed to work. Ruby nodded along with her, matching each hand signal, without the glow of her hands, thankfully.

Winter looked between the two, her eyes trailing to the smoldering stone at their feet. She listened as Yang joined the conversation, already laughing as Ruby started laying out exactly what happened in great detail, Weiss quickly translating her mangled explanations.

As she watched the three interact, Winter considered Yang's earlier words. She thought of the numerous journals their grandfather had left for them, laying out his own experiences with glyphs. She thought about reading through them again… this time, with fresh eyes by her side.

* * *

High in the rafters of the warehouse, tiny red eyes watched the group. They lingered on Yang, then Ruby, watching the two interact with the Schnee sisters. A moment later, black wings flapped silently, and a raven soared through one of the warehouse windows, no one inside any the wiser.

**Author's Note:**

> Betaed by Ril_Locke [(Covert Weapon)](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/926755/Covert-Weapon)  
> [LiLaL'S TV Tropes Page](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/LinkedInLifeAndLove)  
> [Cross-posted on FF.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11689623/1/Linked-in-Life-and-Love)


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